Who is Sammi's Daddy?
by LeaveIt
Summary: An old girlfriend of Goren’s gets in trouble and it comes to light that her child may be his. This story links up to my story Good Intentions – starting about four months into B/A relationship/four years into B/A partnership.
1. Chapter 1

**Who is Sammi's Daddy?**

Disclaimer: Unfortunately I do not own anything or anyone attached to LO:CI or Law & Order. I don't mean anyone any harm by using the wonderful characters from the shows. Nor do I own anything of any real monetary value – so please don't sue me. I make no money from writing these stories – I just do it for the warm, fuzzy feeling when I actually get a review!

Summary: An old girlfriend of Goren's gets in trouble and it comes to light that her child may be his. This story links up to my story Good Intentions – starting about four months into B/A relationship.

A/N: If you've read my story Good Intentions you'll know that there's a little girl called Sammi, who may or may not be Bobby Goren's daughter. Her mother, Lilianna Giovaissi, had a relationship with Bobby around the time of his transfer to MCS and cheated on him with two other men. Any one of the three could be Sammi's Daddy.

* * *

**28 August 2004 – Home of Alex Eames, Rockaway**

"Why exactly am I doing this?" Bobby Goren grumbled, standing in the hallway of his partner's house.

"Because you love me." Alex Eames countered, sounding equally disgruntled as she pulled on her jacket beside him. "And you don't want to have to arrest me for murdering either Junior or Beth if I have to go to this party alone."

Alex's eldest brother had invited the whole family to attend an early evening barbecue to celebrate his daughter's birthday. Even though Alex and Bobby had been together as a couple for almost four months there was still tension between Alex and Junior about the relationship. Alex's sister Beth was still unable to accept that Alex was not about to capitulate and give up a future with Bobby. Other than the tension with two of Alex's siblings, the couple themselves could not have been happier, already had their wedding organised for the Saturday after Thanksgiving and were, very actively, trying to get Alex pregnant.

They had decided to rent out Alex's house in Rockaway, the practical reason being that his apartment was closer to work but Alex had admitted to Bobby that she really didn't want to live with him in the house she had shared with her late husband. It wasn't that she felt Bobby couldn't compare to Joe, it was more that Alex felt the house represented her past and she wanted to concentrate on her future, which was most definitely with Bobby. Plus the extra income from the rental would come in handy, especially if as they hoped Alex got pregnant soon, and Alex Eames was always one for the practicalities of life.

Unfortunately, that morning the agent dealing with the rental arrangements had called Alex to say that the potential tenant who had been to view the property the week before wanted to have another look around the property. The woman was extremely fussy and had insisted on meeting her would-be landlord in person, apparently not content with the agent's assessment of his client.

They had intended to spend their day relaxing following a busy week at work, before heading to Junior's house in Queens. Instead they'd gone to Rockaway to show the potential tenant round Alex's house. The woman had asked what seemed like a thousand and one questions, not all of which had been about the house. Both Alex and Bobby had found the woman snobbish, nosy and annoying. They'd refused to answer several questions when she'd tried to grill them about their relationship and exactly why they were renting out such an apparently perfect house.

They'd finally got rid of the woman, but now they were running late for the party. Truth be told, neither of them were actually that enthusiastic about going to the party. They knew Junior and Beth would once again team up to try and convince the rest of Alex's family that the wedding scheduled to take place in three month's time was only going to end up in the divorce courts.

* * *

Alex and Bobby had just arrived at Junior's house and finished making their apologies for being late, when both their cell phones rang.

"Goren." Bobby flipped his phone open. "Uncle Nicky … yeah … well, erm, it's not really the best time." He glanced at Alex as she answered her phone. He continued listening to his phone, his eyes darkening with a combination of annoyance and worry.

"Eames." Alex looked confused. "Yes, Sir." She looked at Bobby, her eyes suddenly filled with concern. "Yeah, he's here … he's on the phone at the moment." She listened to her caller. "Tell them we'll be there as soon as can." Another pause to listen. "Yes, I'm sure. We'll just make our apologies and then we'll hit the road. We should be there within the hour." She listened again for a moment. "Thanks, Captain." She flipped her phone closed.

Bobby had moved away to continue his conversation, still throwing glances at Alex as he spoke into his phone. After another minute he finished his call and rejoined her.

"That was the Captain. We need to get to the 2-7. They have a suspect in custody who's throwing your name around as a close personal friend." Alex explained the basics of her call to him as he stopped beside her.

"It's Lilianna, you met her at the wedding, Nick Giovaissi's daughter. That was Uncle Nicky on the phone. Something about Lil being arrested in connection with the homicide of her boss. He wanted to know if I could maybe go down there and find out what's going on. They've got a lawyer on the way for her. I'm sorry about this. Look you stay here, enjoy the party. I'll get back as quickly as I can but …" His tone of voice made it obvious he was torn between staying to support Alex in the impending dual with Beth and Junior, and going to see if he could help an old friend in need.

"I'm coming with you. Deakins wants us both there, just in case anything …"

"In case anything happens that might get me into trouble?" He finished her sentence for her.

She nodded, looking slightly embarrassed at his ability to not only read her but to know what their captain had been thinking after he got the call from Lieutenant Van Buren.

"It's okay Alex. I can understand Deakins' logic. I do tend to be a little overprotective when it comes to my friends." Bobby shrugged as he ran his hand from her shoulder down to her hand, taking it gently. "Thanks though, for understanding."

"Come on, let's get this over with. We'll just say we've been called in, no one's gonna ask for details, they're used to it by now." Alex squeezed his hand reassuringly.

The couple once again made their apologies to Alex's family, saying they'd try to get back as soon as possible, then headed to their car to drive Manhattan to find out what was going on with Bobby's ex-girlfriend.

* * *

A/N: This will not be a case file as such – I'm not ready to attempt one of those yet. Lil's arrest is just my way of bringing about the circumstances for Sammi's paternity to be brought into question. Thanks for reading.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Here's a bit of additional background regarding Sammi's potential fathers, from Lil's POV.

**

* * *

**

30 March 2001 – Office of Dr Sedgewick, Manhattan

Lilianna Giovaissi sat opposite her doctor, her faced stunned.

"Lil, are you okay?" Dr Sedgewick asked, her concern for her patient clear in her face and tone of voice.

Dr Carol Sedgewick had been Lilianna's Ob-Gyn for the past five years and was quite fond of the younger woman. She knew from their conversation during this appointment that Lil's current boyfriend, Jeffrey Halliday, had recently moved into her apartment with her and that she was doing well in her job. She couldn't understand Lil's reaction to the news she had just been given. Lil surely couldn't be that surprised that she was pregnant, afterall she must have suspected something or she wouldn't have moved her annual appointment forward.

"I'm actually pregnant?" Lil's words came out in a strangled gasp.

"Yes. It's definite."

"When … I mean how far along?" Lil's face was now taking on a decidedly worried expression.

"I'd say around six or seven weeks. Although obviously we'll have a more accurate date in a few more weeks once you've had your ultrasound."

Lil thanked her doctor, said she'd arrange an appointment for the scan and left the doctor's office.

* * *

As she walked back to work her mind whirled. She'd met Jeff, a med student in his final year, while she was out with some friends and she'd ended up staying the night in his dorm room. She'd been seeing him a couple of nights a week since then and he'd moved into her apartment immediately after she'd split up with Bobby, who Jeff knew nothing about.

When she'd met Jeff, Bobby had been on an undercover assignment, which had finished when she'd been seeing Jeff for a couple of weeks. Lil and Bobby's reunion night had been pretty amazing, given that he'd been undercover for almost a month and definitely had some serious tensions to relieve. Sex with Bobby had always been extremely satisfactory, it was his attitude to life that tended to grate of Lil's nerves. He insisted on maintaining close friendships with people who couldn't help him to further his career and refused to socialise with other people who Lil considered to be far more influential and capable of moving them, as a couple, higher up the social strata of New York City.

Shortly after thier 'reunion' night Bobby had told her he was transferring to the Major Case Squad in Manhattan. Lil was very pleased about the prospect of Bobby getting a transfer to such a high profile unit and immediately started pushing for him to start making some changes to his lifestyle. She suggested he move out of Brooklyn, maybe even move into her apartment in Manhattan, afterall it would be closer to his new office and she could always use some help with her living expenses. Bobby had been gentle but firm in his refusal; pointing out that the spacious, two-storey, four-bedroom, apartment he lived in was rent-free and it was too soon for the two of them to be thinking about moving in together.

Bobby had inherited the brownstone, the top two floors of which housed his apartment, in trust along with his brother Frank, from his maternal grandparents. The majority of the rental money the building earned went back into a building trust, paying for the upkeep of the property, the excess he was permitted to withdraw from the trust went towards paying his mother's medical expenses. He couldn't sell the building or the apartment and if he wasn't there to oversee the building he would have to hire a manager instead and pay them a salary from the building trust. Even with the increase in pay from his promotion to Detective First Grade he couldn't afford to lose the money he had coming in from the building, especially if he'd have to find rent money on top of paying extra for his mother's medical costs from his salary.

They'd ended up having a huge row about his choosing to stay in the old neighbourhood rather than moving up in the world, as Lil put it. Unable to change Bobby's mind, she'd stormed out of her apartment. He'd waited an hour before he'd left and headed back to his own apartment, leaving a note saying he'd call her in the morning. Meanwhile, Lil was in one of her favourite bars, picking up a 'revenge date'; she went back to the other man's apartment, not that far from her own, and spent the rest of the night having sex with him. The sex hadn't been that great but the man's apartment, and his apparent wealth, had been more important factors in Lil's decision to agree to see Michael again, despite the fact she was already seeing both Bobby and Jeff. As it turned out she only saw Michael a couple more times before she decided Jeff was a better bet in the long term. Michael Jacobsen wasn't actually as well off as he appeared to be and, despite the fact they had made up following their argument about his living arrangements, Bobby obviously wasn't about to fit his plans in with where Lil wanted her life to go.

She'd finally told Bobby she wouldn't be seeing him any more only about four weeks ago, she'd spent the night with Michael around the time she must have fallen pregnant and she'd been with Jeff at the same time as both of the others. As Jeff was now the only man she was sleeping with she decided she would tell him she was pregnant and play it as though he were the father. Afterall, it wasn't as if there was much chance of it being Michael and Bobby was no longer on the scene, so what other option did she really have. At least once Jeff had finished his studies and became a doctor she would have, what she considered to be, a chance at a decent future with the sort of social status she had always craved.

* * *

A/N: Yep – I'm sorry to say that, as we put it here in England, Lil was a 'bit of a slapper' or to be blunt the woman couldn't keep her knees together to save her life! Please feel free and let me know your own 'local' colourful terms for this 'type'. Now back to the 'present' - Let's go and find out what happens when Alex and Bobby arrive at the 27th Precinct. In other words - bring on Lennie Briscoe and co.


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: No characters related to Law & Order or Law & Order: Criminal Intent are mine.

A/N: Let's see how Lennie's coping with Lil.

* * *

**28 August 2004 – 27th Precinct, Manhattan**

As soon as Bobby opened the door to the Homicide Division's squad room he could hear Lil's voice. She never had been a particularly quiet person and when upset, or excited for that matter, tended to get decidedly loud.

"I'm not speaking to anyone until Bobby gets here. What do you not understand about that Mr Cochrane?" Lil was addressing the lawyer her father had organised to represent her.

Harold Cochrane was quite a small man in his late fifties, only about 5'7" tall, slim build with thinning mid-brown hair and washed-out blue eyes. He'd known Lilianna Giovaissi for a number of years, having defended one of her brothers against an assault charge when he was still a teenager, and was used to her dramatics. He had become a friend of the family over the years and on those occasions when there was trouble with the police, which given the size of the family there was almost bound to be although not on regular basis, Nicky would call him straightaway. He looked at the two detectives dealing with his client and shrugged his shoulders.

"It seems my client refuses to co-operate until such time as Detective Goren can be here." Mr Cochrane's tone was apologetic in the extreme.

Senior Detective Lennie Briscoe glared at the woman seated next to his desk, then addressed her attorney. "Not a problem, Mr Cochrane. If you could just convince your client that she should be quiet while we wait for Goren to arrive, I know I'd appreciate it."

Briscoe's partner, Detective Ed Green, didn't even try to hide his amusement at his partner's obvious irritation. Especially as Lennie's back was to the door which Ed was facing. Ed watched as Alex Eames entered the squad room, followed by her oversized partner, whose face showed clearly his own lack of amusement at the entire situation.

"I don't understand why you people think I could be involved in Michael's death." Lil's voice was plaintive and loud, very loud, just barely able to be classed as talking rather than shouting. "I'm sure once Bobby gets here we can get this whole silly situation straightened out. Why wasn't this matter referred to Major Case to begin with, surely Michael Jacobsen's death deserves their attention rather than …" Lil had the sense to stop speaking when she heard a vaguely familiar voice behind her.

* * *

"Yeah, well, ya see, it's the Chief of Detectives and the Mayor who decide which cases bounce up to Major Case. I guess they didn't consider Michael, whatever his name is, to be prestigious or connected enough to warrant our interest." Alex's voice carried every ounce of her annoyance at having her day, once again, messed up.

Alex was also annoyed at the way Lil Giovaissi was throwing Bobby's name around, as if the woman had some claim on him. She couldn't help but recall Lil's behaviour at the wedding a few months back, when Lil had dismissed Alex as 'just Bobby's partner' and then spent several dances trying to rekindle her old relationship with Bobby. At least that was the impression Alex had got from watching the dancing, Bobby hadn't mentioned Lil suggesting they get back together but then again Bobby wasn't always aware of the effect he had on women by simply being himself and was often blind to the interest women showed in him.

A slight smirk settled on Alex's lips at that thought. For the past four months Bobby had been completely oblivious to any other woman's response to him, outside of his interactions with them in connection with the cases they'd worked. When Bobby Goren decided to focus on something, boy did he focus. He still unconsciously charmed his way through daily life, mildly flirting with waitresses and sales clerks on autopilot, and leaving behind a trail of vaguely disappointed women, who wondered at how any woman managed to hold the attention of any man as profoundly as the small blond woman obviously held that of the tall hunk whose interest couldn't be pulled away from her for even a second. The difference now was that whereas before he might have some inkling of what he was doing to those women, since he'd entered into his relationship with Alex he was totally blind to any woman's response to him on a personal level. It was really very simple, off the job he was interested in how Alex responded to him, no other woman's response mattered in the slightest.

"Eames, Goren. Good to see you again, although we really should try and get together under more pleasant circumstances one of these days." Briscoe had turned around as Alex spoke and now held out his hand to first Alex, then Bobby. "You guys wanna coffee. It's not great but it won't kill ya."

"Briscoe, Green." Alex shook Lennie's hand then turned towards his partner, shaking his hand and stepping aside slightly to give her partner access to the men and the woman in their custody. "I'll get the coffees. You try and get this sorted out."

Her comment was directed at Bobby, who nodded his head and gave her a slightly apologetic look, even as he shook hands with Briscoe and Green before finally addressing Lilianna.

"For starters, Lil, you can knock off the histrionics. It's not helpful to deafen people." Bobby ignored the glare Lil threw at him, something he'd become an expert at during the last few weeks of their 'relationship'. "So, what do you have?" he turned his attention back to Briscoe.

Lil didn't give Briscoe the chance to speak. "Nothin', Bobby, that's what they got, nothin'. That's why I had Papa call you, 'cos you can just straighten this whole mess out." Her voice was now decidedly shrill, if somewhat quieter, not to mention the carefully acquired polish was coming off her accent, rapidly. She looked up at Bobby from under her lashes. "Why'd ya have to bring her along?" None of the four men around her missed the sneer in Lil's voice as she asked her question.

Briscoe and Green glanced at each other, then at Bobby, who looked a little uncomfortable at Lil's obvious attitude towards his partner. Cochrane simply looked confused, unaware of the personal history between his client and the large man who had just arrived and to whom he had yet to be introduced. As a slightly uncomfortable silence started to settle, Alex returned. She handed a coffee to Bobby and then turned to Cochrane.

"You must be Lilianna's attorney. I'm Detective Alex Eames, this is my partner, Detective Robert Goren." She carried out the introductions automatically, then shook Cochrane's hand, noting the slight limpness in the man's handshake. "So, what do you have?" Alex turned her attention to Green, who was standing closer to her now than Briscoe.

"Except for the ringing in our ears and a headache from Miss Giovaissi's rather vocal protestations of innocence?" Green gave Alex a sardonic smile. "We have one dead guy, apparently an ex-boyfriend, more recently her boss. Found dead in his apartment this morning. Two shots to the chest, no sign of a struggle, probably knew his killer since he opened the door and let 'em in. Anything other than that we'd rather discuss privately." Green looked pointedly at Lil then her attorney, obviously not wanting to discuss the entire case where they could hear.

"Mr Cochrane, if you wouldn't mind excusing us for a few minutes we really should go speak with Lt Van Buren before we do anything further." Goren addressed himself to Lil's attorney, making a point of not even looking at Lil.

Briscoe beckoned a nearby uniform over. "Take the suspect and her attorney through the Interview Room. We'll be there once we've spoken to the boss."

* * *

"Come in." Lt Anita Van Buren called, glancing up and recognising Lennie Briscoe's figure through her office door as he knocked.

"They're here." Briscoe said simply, as he opened the door and stepped into the office.

Van Buren nodded as she watched Green follow his partner into her office, followed by a petite blond woman and a tall, dark haired man. She rose from her seat.

"Alex, Bobby, it's been a while. I've been hearing a lot of good things about the two of you." She shook hands with other woman, then her partner.

"Lieutenant." Alex replied simply, wondering what Van Buren had heard and from whom.

"Lieutenant." Bobby echoed, obviously discomfitted at being praised in front of Briscoe and Green.

Van Buren grinned, reclaiming her chair and motioning for the others to sit. "By the way, next time you want me to write a compromising letter, maybe you could drop by and ask me yourselves?"

As everyone moved to take a seat Bobby blushed, Alex sniggered, while Briscoe and Green looked thoroughly confused.

"I'll explain to my boys here later. Right now we appear to have a mutual acquaintance, Miss Lilianna Giovaissi." She gave Goren an appraising look. "I wouldn't have thought she was your type, Bobby. I never took you for the kind of man to enjoy a 'drama queen' like that one."

"It was a long time ago, around the time I left Narcotics, and it didn't last long. I don't know why Lil would think I can dig her out of this mess. Not that I'm not willing to try and help an old friend but your people know their job. I'm sure if Lil just co-operates and lays off the dramatics you can get this straightened out in no time." Bobby's tone was serious, he wasn't about to take the charges against Lil lightly but he really couldn't see why she'd insisted on her father calling him or how Captain Deakins had been dragged into this.

"Well the case may not be so straightforward." Van Buren's face was now serious. "Michael Jacobsen appears to have been stalking Miss Giovaissi for some time, since before he took the job as the manager of the store she works for. She says they had a very short-lived affair several years ago but has had no contact with him since then, until he came to work with her. He attempted to rekindle the relationship, she claims to have rejected his advances, we're still gathering evidence at both apartments so we should know whether anything was going on once the forensics are in. Then last week they were heard having, as several witnesses are willing to attest, a screaming match in Miss Giovaissi's office. Apparently it had something to do with her daughter, Samantha. Jacobsen seems to have gotten the idea he could have been the child's father and was trying to use that as leverage to force Miss Giovaissi into a relationship with him."

Van Buren looked Bobby firmly in the eye. "I have to ask, Bobby, did you ever meet this Jacobsen guy when he was seeing her before? And, how much do you know about her daughter?"

Bobby thought for a moment before responding. "I don't think I ever met the victim. If he thought he could be Sammi's father then he must have come along shortly after we split up. I didn't see Lil at all for almost eighteen months, by which time she'd had the baby. The father was some med student, Jeff something. I remember her father calling me and asking if I could run a background check on the guy because he'd moved into Lil's apartment."

Van Buren held up a hand to stop his narrative. "Her father called you for a background check?"

"I'm a friend of the family. In fact, I've had more contact with her father, Nicky, over the years than I've had with Lil. Her cousin and I are friends, have been since we were kids. Uncle Nicky, he's a nice guy, just somehow his most of kids didn't turn out as nice as he is. He was upset at Lil when we broke up, even though we hadn't been seeing each other that long. I think he was hoping I might manage to straighten her head out a little, instead she tried to mess with mine. She finished it before I got the chance to, saved me the trouble and helped keep me on good terms with her parents." Goren was silenced again by another wave of Van Buren's hand.

"The background check?" she prompted.

"Oh, sorry, no I didn't do one. I told Uncle Nicky I was sorry but I really couldn't take the chance of carrying out unauthorised checks for personal reasons so soon into a new job. Anyway the guy ran out on Lil before the baby was even born. She never mentioned anyone else as a potential father, at least so far as I heard." He finished speaking with a slight shrug.

Van Buren took a deep breath. "Bobby, do you know when Samantha was born?"

"End of 2001 I think, maybe beginning of 2002. I'm not sure, we were pretty busy around that time. I wasn't in touch with Lil after we split up and she never contacted me. I just heard news of her occasionally through other family." Bobby noticed the look Van Buren threw at Briscoe and Green. "Is there something the matter?"

"Not as such." Van Buren hesitated a moment, unsure of how to drop this bombshell into the life of the man in front of her. "Bobby, the thing is … Lilianna Giovaissi is claiming that you're the father of her child. That's her grounds for asking that you to be here."

"She's what?"

The explosive demand didn't come from Goren, as the Homicide team might have expected, but from his petite partner. Alex was now standing in front of her chair, her face a mask of shock and indignation. Her eyes blazed with anger.

"That … that …" she couldn't bring herself to say the derogatory words running full speed through her brain. She turned to Bobby. "I told you, didn't I? I told you she wanted to start things up again but, oh no, you wouldn't listen to me. This is her trying to pull you back into a relationship with her."

Bobby wrapped his hands around her forearms where they were crossed protectively over her stomach. "Alex, calm down." He could feel the almost imperceptible shaking that coursed through her. "Whatever Lil's up to, it's not gonna work, okay?"

He kept his voice calm, even as his brain started to go into overdrive, trying to figure out dates and remember when he'd heard about Sammi being born.

"Calm down, Goren, you want me to calm down." The words grated from between Alex's now clenched teeth. "I'll calm down when that bitch out there starts telling the truth."

Bobby couldn't take the anger in Alex's voice any longer, even if it wasn't directed at him. He could tell that a lot of her anger was covering up the confusion and hurt she was feeling at the idea of him having a child with another woman, even inadvertently. He was feeling pretty confused about the whole situation himself. Ignoring the questioning looks from the other three cops in the office, he stood up, wrapping his arms around Alex and pulling her to him. She struggled against him at first, trying to pull away but he wasn't about to let her go, after a moment she relented, loosening her arms from around herself and wrapping them around his waist.

He bent his head, softly kissing her hair. "Sweetheart, it's gonna be okay. This doesn't make any difference to our plans." He mumbled into her hair.

* * *

A/N: Ah well, so much for them remaining professional ;o) I hope you're still enjoying this. More soon.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: No characters related to Law & Order or Law & Order: Criminal Intent are mine.

A/N: So what's Lil up to while all that was happening in Van Buren's office.

* * *

**28 August 2004 – 27th Precinct, Manhattan – Homicide Division, Interview Room**

"Lilianna will you please sit down. I'm sure the detectives will only be a few more minutes." Harold Cochrane was trying, unsuccessfully, to calm his client down.

They'd been waiting in the Interview Room for almost fifteen minutes and Lil was not a patient woman. She was stalking around the perimeter of the room, doing her best to ignore Cochrane. Lil was feeling seriously frustrated with this whole situation. Afterall, it wasn't as if she'd actually killed Michael, and even if she had she would have had grounds to, the guy had gotten downright creepy over the past few years. Since being appointed General Manager of the store she worked at, about three months ago, he'd been trying to convince her she'd made the wrong choice when she'd dropped him from her life. He'd pointed out that he was now employed above her as evidence of that 'mistake' and tried to pressure her into seeing him outside of work. She'd accepted one dinner date and then refused to see him again because something seemed off about him, he seemed kind of 'twitchy'. Almost everyone at work was of the opinion the guy was definitely playing with less than a full deck of cards. He never seemed to be able to sit still and would get up and walk around during meetings. Even telephone calls would have him wandering around his office, talking at the top of his voice with the door wide open. The new general manager was the main subject of gossip for the entire store.

When the detectives had arrived at her apartment and arrested her she'd simply gone with them. When they then told her about the evidence they'd found in Michael Jacobsen's apartment, evidence that indicated her boss had been stalking her for at least the past six months, Lil had been stunned. She'd known Michael was still interested in her but she had no idea the man was actually obsessed. Then they'd mentioned Bobby, apparently there were some photos amongst Michael's collection of her, Bobby and Sammi outside a church. Lil had known immediately that they must have been taken on the day of her cousin Val's wedding. Then Briscoe had said 'the kid in the pictures kinda looks like Goren' and before she'd had a chance to think about the implications Lil had said that she wanted to wait until Bobby arrived before she would speak to anyone. When Briscoe then asked why, she'd answered that as her child's father he had a right to be there. Briscoe had said he'd get in touch with Major Case and 'see what he could do about getting Goren to put in an appearance'.

After hearing about Michael, and picking up on the fact that his behaviour gave her a motive for wanting him dead, Lil had finally requested her phone call. Lil rang her mother. Luckily for Lilianna her mother, Leah Giovaissi, looked after Sammi during the week. Lil may have thought herself too good for the old neighbourhood but she couldn't afford the cost of a Manhattan-based day nursery for Sammi, so Grandma provided daycare. In fact, to make life easier for everyone, Sammi lived with her grandparents during the week and only stayed with her mother from Friday night through to Monday morning, leaving her mother free to work whatever hours during the week she needed to. As Lil had had a date Friday night, Sammi had stayed over at her grandparents' house an extra night. Lil had been about to set off to pick Sammi up when Detectives Briscoe and Green had arrived at her door and arrested her.

During the conversation with her mother Lil had asked that she continue taking care of Sammi, organise a lawyer and to have Papa give Bobby a call and tell him to come help her. Afterall, what was the point of have a high profile police officer as a friend of the family if they couldn't make themselves useful in this sort of situation. She'd given no thought to the fact that the investigating detectives might well inform their colleague of her claim that he was Sammi's father, nevermind any repercussions such a claim by her might have on Bobby's life. Lil was just annoyed when it took so long for Bobby to arrive, especially with that 'Tinkerbell' little partner of his in tow. Lil's mind went back to the way, what was her name – ah yes - Eames, had spoken to her in the squadroom when Bobby finally arrived. The woman certainly had some cheek, and Lilianna Giovaissi did not intend to put up with it. She would make damn sure 'Eames' left as quickly as possible, leaving Bobby behind to fight Lil's cause for her.

* * *

The door to the Interview Room swung open to admit a small blond tornado. Lil spun to face the door from the corner she had just reached as she paced around the room thinking, she really didn't know what to make of the sight in front of her.

Bobby's tiny slip of a partner was standing between the door and the table, hands on hips and fire in her eyes. The woman looked ready to take apart anyone who got in her way and, for the first time since Lil had first heard about her following Bobby's transfer to Major Case, Lil realised why it was that both police officers and criminals had a healthy respect for Alex Eames.

"What's your daughter's date of birth?" Alex's voice was deathly calm, a stark contrast to the fire burning in her eyes.

"I beg your pardon?" Lil tried to sound calm, but didn't carry it off, her voice cracking when she was only halfway through her sentence.

"Sammi's date of birth, what is it?" The command in Alex's voice was undeniable and Lil answered her question.

"November 8, 2001" Lil's voice was now decidedly shaky. She couldn't take her eyes of Eames.

Alex turned to look at her partner who had followed her into the room, along with Briscoe and Green. The two Homicide Detectives simple stood to one side, unsure of how to handle this situation. Goren leaned against the wall, next to the door.

"When did you two split up?" Her tone did not change from how she had addressed the other woman.

"The end of February after I transferred." Bobby met Alex's eyes, trying to convey to her that he was just as upset by this as she was but that she had to calm down.

Alex saw his concern for her, she wanted to calm down, but then again she wanted to walk out of here and never have to wonder if the cute toddler she'd met a few months ago might be Bobby's child. It didn't look like either one was much of a possibility at the moment.

"That fits." Alex's voice was close to a snarl as she turned back to Lil. "So how did you convince, what was his name, Jeff?" Lil nodded.

"So how did you sell Jeff on his being the father? He never tried to tell your family he wasn't, from what Bobby heard, so how'd ya pull it off? You must have found out in what, March, April at the latest? If you and Bobby were together until the end of February, Jeff must have known the baby couldn't be his."

Lil looked from Alex to Bobby then to Cochrane, who was sitting at the table completely dumbstruck.

"Do I have to answer these questions?" Lil asked her lawyer, as she regained her senses. "I mean it's not as though this has any bearing on the investigation and she's not even one of the investigating officers."

Alex gave Cochrane no opportunity to reply to his client. "Oh, this is nothing to do with the investigation. I could care less whether or not you murdered some ex-boyfriend turned stalker, that's their problem." She nodded towards Briscoe and Green. "What I want to know is why you've waited all this time to get around to informing Bobby about your daughter's alleged paternity?"

Lil sensed an opportunity to get rid of this woman, who was becoming unexpectedly quite scary. "What damn business is it of yours, Tinkerbell?"

Lil had left Val's wedding early, glad of the excuse when Sammi had complained of being tired just after the two of them had finished dancing with Bobby, so she hadn't seen Alex and Bobby dancing together, acting very obviously like a couple.

"Lil, that's enough." Bobby stepped forward from where he'd been leaning against the wall behind where his partner was standing. He stepped around Alex and took another couple of strides until he was directly in front of Lil. "You will not address Eames like that. Do you understand me?"

Lil had never been on the receiving end of Bobby's anger, he'd always been the one to remain calm while she flew off the handle at him. Now she was faced with a man who suddenly looked even taller than his already impressive 6'4" and the flat, humourless expression in his eyes was one she was completely unfamiliar with. She decided to try and seduce her way around Bobby, that had always worked for her in the past.

* * *

Lil raised one hand and brushed her perfectly manicured nails down Bobby's chest, trailing lightly down the front of his shirt where his jacket hung open. Bobby took a step back before she was even halfway down his chest, instantly breaking the contact. Lil started to step forward, as if to try and renew the contact but Bobby turned away taking a couple of long strides back to Eames' side.

"I think I've had enough of this." His voice was tight, his self-control obviously stretched. He bent his head and spoke softly into his partner's ear, too quiet for anyone else in the room to hear. Eames nodded in response to whatever it was he'd said, then he turned his attention back to Lil.

"We're heading over to the CSU Lab at 1PP. I'm gonna give a DNA sample there. A mouth swab from Sammi will settle any further argument regarding whether or not she's mine. We will be discussing why you've waited until almost three years after she was born to start throwing my name into the mix but now is not the time or place for that conversation." He held up his hand to stop her when Lil looked as if she was going to speak.

"I don't want to hear anything else. You have a lawyer, your case is being handled by extremely competent detectives who are more than capable of doing their job. I suggest you co-operate. Beyond that, I have nothing further to say to you. Goodbye, Lil."

With that Bobby turned on his heel, placed his arm around Alex and stepped towards the door.

"Briscoe, Green, I have no further involvement in this case, unless you say otherwise. You got that?" Goren looked at his colleagues.

"Got it." Green replied.

"See you guys around." Briscoe gave the couple a brisk nod.

Eames turned within the curve of Goren's arm. "We'll see the Lieutenant on the way out."

"But … but Bobby … Aren't you going to help me?" Lil's voice was stunned.

"Help yourself, Lil, you always were good at that." Bobby didn't even turn his head as he ground the comment out between clenched teeth. He guided Alex through the door and followed her, as they passed through the door they each glanced back and nodded their goodbyes to Briscoe and Green but neither of them looked far enough back into the room to acknowledge Lil's continued presence.

* * *

A/N: So – on to the aftermath ;o)


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: No characters related to Law & Order or Law & Order: Criminal Intent are mine.

A/N: This chapter heads over into 'M' territory - just slightly – what can I say – I leave these two alone for five minutes and they start misbehaving ;o) I haven't gone into my usual amount of detail as I am trying to keep this story in the 'T' category.

You want serious smut – please go read my other current story 'We Shouldn't' – what can I say a little self-advertising can't hurt too much – right?

Alternatively, cifan's 'Not Yet' is heating up quite nicely if you haven't read it.

Whilst posting this chapter I've also done a small rewrite to the scene in Van Buren's office in Chapter 3 – Thank you SSwish for drawing my attention to the fact I'd made an error against continuity with canon – I know it doesn't matter to everyone but I hate it when I spot them myself so I went back and corrected it – serves me right for watching episodes and writing them into my fics whilst under the influence of painkillers.

* * *

**28 August 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn**

Bobby was leaning against the doorframe watching as Alex searched feverishly through one of the boxes she'd temporarily stored in the spare bedroom she was planning to use as an office. As far as he could see the box seemed to contain a mix of bath products, cosmetics and beauty accessories, basically the contents of her bathroom from the house at Rockaway.

"Alex, what are you looking for?" His voice was heavy with concern and confusion.

They'd barely spoken after they'd left Lt Van Buren's office at the 2-7. Alex had driven them to 1PP to arrange for the DNA test, where she had waited in the car while he went upstairs. Then she'd headed straight back to his apartment, making no mention of the family party they were supposed to be returning to. When Bobby had attempted to speak to her in the car she'd held up a hand and looked at him, her eyes full of pain and confusion but, thankfully in Bobby's view, not anger.

Keeping her head down and her eyes away from Bobby, Alex found what she was searching for and withdrew a circular, plastic case from the box in front of her. "Diaphragm." She stated simply, still not looking at him.

"Woah, woah, back up a minute here. Why would you need that?"

"Because I'm not covered by the injections anymore and I'm pretty sure you don't have any condoms in the apartment." She still wasn't turning to look at him, staring at the case in her hand almost as if it were about to bite her. "This is what I used before Nathan."

He stepped into the room, dropping to his knees behind her, pulling her tension-filled body against his and pressing a kiss to the top of her head. He took the case from her hand and dropped it back into the box.

"We don't need that." Bobby's voice was soft but firm.

Alex turned in the circle of his arms, finally looking up and meeting his eyes. "You really think it's a good idea? I mean to keep trying for a baby when we don't know whether or not …"

He silenced her by kissing her, gently brushing his lips across hers, then kissing his way to her ear, where he spoke, deliberately caressing her ear with his lips as he did so.

"I want a child with you, Alex. It doesn't matter whether Sammi turns out to be mine or not. I mean, it matters, but it doesn't change that I want a child with you. In fact, if you're willing I want more than one child with you, as many as you'll have." He punctuated his words with gentle kisses placed down her neck.

* * *

Almost against her will Alex felt her body begin to relax for the first time since Lil's bombshell had been dropped in Van Buren's office. She wanted to fight with him, take out her anger at this entire situation on him as he was the only target she had to hand, but she knew he was just as angry and confused by Lil's assertion as she was. Instead of arguing with him that they should put their plans on hold she found herself literally tearing his clothes off.

Usually when they made love a considerable amount of time was spent on foreplay. This time Alex wasn't giving Bobby much opportunity to prepare her, ripping her own cloths off as quickly as she had his. Her actions were enough to have Bobby hard and ready before she'd finished stripping them both and she intended to take full advantage of his body's response to her. She felt as if her own body was on fire. She pushed Bobby down onto the thick carpet, kissing him with a desperation born of the knowledge that, should Sammi turn out to be his child, it could seriously impact on their relationship. Even as Bobby tried to slow her down, grabbing her around the waist and trying to still her movements, she fought against him, trying to position herself over his erection, needing to feel him inside her.

"Baby, slow down." He gasped, as she ran her hand down his length.

She met his eyes. "No." She said simply, then pressed herself against his erection, letting him feel for himself that she was as ready as he was. She was slightly surprised when he stopped resisting her, letting her have her way as she slid down onto him.

* * *

**29 August 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn**

Bobby Goren woke with a start, as Alex Eames threw the covers off of her body and darted towards the en-suite bathroom adjoining the bedroom they were currently sharing. He glanced at the clock beside the bed, noting the date displayed beneath the time and flung the covers off himself and into the middle of the bed. He swung his long legs over the edge of the bed and groaned as his muscles protested. Alex had been seemingly insatiable the night before but, then again, he'd been no better.

Over the few months they had been a couple they had started to gain some sort of control over their physical attraction for each other even when off duty, although they were always affectionate with each other in private, they could now manage to get through an entire evening alone without jumping on each other. Last night, on the other hand, had been even more intense than their first nights together. The possible threat posed by Lil's bombshell about Sammi's paternity seeming to fill them both with a need to reinforce their relationship in the most basic way possible.

The sound of Alex retching shattered Bobby's contemplation of the previous night and he headed into the bathroom, dampening a washcloth then crouching beside her and pressing it gently against her cheeks and forehead. Once her stomach seemed to have settled Bobby helped her to stand, let her rinse her mouth and then got her back to bed. Alex was shaky but she wasn't feverish. Bobby pulled on a t-shirt and sweatpants.

"I'm gonna make you some tea, then I going to the store, you want anything?" Alex glared at him from under the edge of the blankets.

'_How can he be so damn cheerful when I feel like this?_' She grunted out an irritated "No."

She was asleep again by the time he placed her teacup on the bedside cabinet.

* * *

Alex awoke to the sound of Bobby rattling around in the kitchen. She decided that, once she'd finished moving in, she was going to have to talk to him about using the 'lounge' upstairs as the master bedroom and using his current bedroom as a guest suite. It would mean partitioning the upstairs room and fitting an en-suite but it would be worth it. She really couldn't cope with him banging about in the kitchen at … she looked at the clock … okay so maybe she didn't really have grounds for complaint, it was 12:30pm. She had slept the entire morning. There was a glass of water beside the clock, she picked it up and drank it thankfully. '_Has he been putting a fresh glass there every half hour or something?_' she thought, as the still chilled water eased its way down her dry throat.

She dragged herself out of bed and slipped her dressing gown on. She ached all over and not only from their nocturnal activities. Her stomach still felt queasy, her mouth was still dry and she had a slight headache, probably from dehydrating when she was sick earlier, she figured. She wondered for a moment if she was coming down with the flu or something. Just what she needed with the wedding preparations underway, a full workload at the precinct and now this nonsense with Lil Giovaissi hanging over them. After a quick bathroom stop she wandered through to the kitchen.

"Hey, sleepyhead." Bobby spoke without bothering to turn around from the stove, where he was stirring a pot of something that, despite the rolling sensation in her stomach, smelt wonderful.

She was used to him knowing when she'd entered a room, even if she was sure she'd made no noise at all. She placed the empty glass on the counter by the door. Walking up behind him she wrapped her arms around is waist from behind, pressing her face into his back and drinking in the smell of him. '_Hmh … that's even better than whatever he's cooking._' She thought before answering him.

"Hey, yourself. Why'd you let me sleep so late?" Her voice still sounded tired, even to her own ears, and she knew Bobby would notice.

"Because you obviously needed the rest. Sounds like you still do. Why don't you either go back to bed or go lie down on the couch and I'll fetch you some soup in a few minutes, it's almost done." He turned around now, kissing her gently as he wrapped his arms around her, concern evident in his face and voice. "How are you feeling?"

"Is it too early for a flu bug? Because I ache everywhere, I'm wiped out and I still feel queasy." She rested her forehead against the centre of his chest.

"You sure I didn't just wear you out last night?" He teased, whilst smoothing the palms of his hands up and down the length of her spine whilst his fingers kneaded gently at her back muscles along the way.

She looked up at him from under her hair. "Not unless you're starting to make me feel sick, Goren." Her voice had a definite edge to it, she was not in any mood for his teasing.

'_Oohh, seriously grumpy. I think I better get this over with._' "And you can't think of any other time when you've woken up feeling nauseous, aching, obviously thirsty," he nodded towards the empty glass beside the door, "still tired, and, if I might hazard to mention, rather grouchy?"

A groan ripped through Alex's chest and she raised her head sharply to look him in the eye properly. "You don't seriously think I'm …"

His somewhat less than restrained kiss cut of the rest of her sentence. When he finally came up for air he answered her unfinished question. "There's a test in the bathroom cabinet. I … er … I picked it up when I went to the store this morning. I mean we have been trying and you are a couple of days late, right?"

* * *

A/N: A simple life would be so nice – but then again - complications make life so much more interesting – don't they ;o)


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: No characters related to Law & Order or Law & Order: Criminal Intent are mine.

A/N: Test results – YAY.

* * *

**29 August 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn**

"Alex Eames, if you don't open this door in the next ten seconds I will knock it down." Bobby Goren was finally getting close to losing his temper.

As soon as he'd mentioned the fact that her period was late, Alex had swept herself out of his arms and locked herself in the en-suite adjoining his bedroom, that was now almost half an hour ago. He'd tried talking logically to her, he'd tried begging her open the door, he'd even tried to make her feel guilty. Nothing was working to convince Alex to unlock the door and tell him what was going on in that head of hers. He'd heard her ranting, there had been a scream or two, he was pretty sure at the moment he could hear her sobbing, almost silently, on the other side of the door.

He stood, forehead against the door, his anger broken by the sound of Alex's sobs. "Baby, please just open the door and talk to me."

He almost collapse on top of Alex as the door opened suddenly, revealing his tearstained, angry fiancée.

"Don't use that word around me right now Bobby Goren!" she growled as she tried to shove past him.

Instead of letting her pass him, he wrapped his arms around her. "Alex, stop. Did you do the test?"

"Yes, I did the damn test and yes, as usual, you're right, goddamnit." The words came out of her in a single angry exclamation and then her body went limp in his arms.

For one awful moment he thought she'd fainted, then he felt her arms go loosely around his waist, and he realised it was simply the fight going out of her. He swept her up into his arms and carried her over to the bed. He laid her down, brushing the hair out of her eyes once he'd gotten her settled on the sheet and the blankets pulled back over her.

"You okay now?" He met her gaze, letting her read the confusion and worry in his eyes.

"This couldn't be worse timing, Bobby. I mean, I know we were trying but right now is not the time to find out I'm pregnant."

"Because of Sammi?" It wasn't really a question, as Bobby already knew the answer.

"Yes, because of Sammi." She raised one hand and cupped his cheek. "We have to face the possibility she could be yours and there are implications in that. I know you want to believe it won't make a difference to our plans …"

He covered her hand on his face with his own, turning his face to kiss her palm before speaking again. "Firstly, regardless of what you think of the timing. Thank you, because this baby," he moved both their hands so that they rested, joined, over her stomach, "is the greatest gift you could ever give me. Nothing else is as important to me as the two of you, I hope you believe me when I say that, Alex."

She nodded, biting her lip and silently berating herself for her half hour tantrum, which she knew must have been torture for him. She had no idea what she had been thinking when she'd locked herself in the bathroom. She figured she'd been running on hormones, it had happened once or twice early in her surrogate pregnancy, she'd found herself behaving completely illogically and becoming overly emotional at the least little thing, thankfully it had only ever happened when she was off duty. It had never been as bad as the way she'd reacted today but she figured she'd never had grounds for such an excessive outburst the last time she was pregnant.

"Secondly, stop beating yourself up, it's not good for the baby." He kissed her softly on the forehead.

When she started to speak, he silenced her by brushing his lips across hers. "Thirdly, no matter what happens regarding Sammi, I am not going to let Lil come between you and me. Even if there was no baby, there's no way I could stand to lose you, so stop second-guessing about that. I wouldn't give you up to keep her then, I'm hardly about to change my mind now."

He saw the question in her eyes before it reached her lips, and realised he'd spoken what he'd only meant to think. "What d'ya mean? You wouldn't give me up to keep her then?" She moved her hand so that she was gently squeezing his where it lay on her stomach.

"Erm … well …ya see …" he was staring down at their hands and his ears were burning.

"Bobby, spit it out." The laughter in her voice was obvious and, from Bobby's point of view, extremely welcome.

He met her eyes again, giving her his little boy grin. "Well, not long after I transferred in from Narcotics, Lil got all bent out of shape about me having a female partner. She gave me a choice of asking for a change of partner or losing her."

"And, even back then, you chose me." Now she was blushing, as she realised just how long he had been putting their partnership ahead of relationships with other women.

He nodded.

"So you two actually split up because of me."

"Not only because of you but her ultimatum and general attitude towards the job were certainly major factors in the relationship ending."

"I thought she finished it?"

"It was more of a case of her beating me to the punch-line really."

"You sure about that?"

"I've always been sure about that, Alex. Even before I was sure that I'd fallen in love with you, I was sure that I'd made the right decision in telling Lil there was no way I as asking for a change of partner just to stop her whining. You were then and are now, without a doubt, the best partner I've ever had and one of the best detectives I've ever met." He squeezed her hand.

She was about to say something more when a low grumbling sound erupted from her stomach. They both burst out laughing.

"I am going to fetch you some soup. Unless there's something you'd prefer?" He stood up beside the bed.

"Soup's fine. Thank you." She sounded almost apologetic.

"You sure you're okay?" He wasn't used to her moods changing so quickly, and he certainly wasn't used to that tone in her voice.

She nodded. "Bring yours through as well and eat in here with me?"

"Okay. I'll just be a couple of minutes."

* * *

Once they'd eaten, Bobby picked up the tray and started to move off the bed. Alex laid a hand on his arm.

"Just put that on the cabinet for a minute." Her voice was soft.

He put the tray down and turned to face her. "You want to talk some more?"

She shook her head and grinned at him. "Talking is not exactly what I had in mind." She ran one hand up his chest, being sure to brush her fingertips across his nipple on the way. "I think I may be having a well documented pregnancy craving."

Her hand was now on the back of his neck, guiding his face down to hers so that she could kiss him. By the time she released him they were both panting slightly.

He grinned down at her. "How long does this craving last?" He chuckled as she started to pull his t-shirt up his chest.

"In my case, I've been having it since at least four months before I got pregnant. So, if you play your cards right, Goren, how does a lifetime sound?" She slipped his t-shirt over his head and kissed him again as she threw it off the bed.

"Sounds good to me, Eames." His hand slipped beneath the blanket and unfastened the belt of her robe.

They spent the next couple of hours indulging Alex's 'craving'.

* * *

A/N: If you're thinking she wouldn't react like that to the news – if you've never been pregnant, you'd be surprised at what your reaction can be even when you're sure of the result before you take the test – if you have been pregnant, you probably know what I'm talking about ;o)

I clearly remember telephoning my husband and calling him all the names under the sun when I found out I was pregnant for the first time – and yes it was a planned pregnancy! I just got pregnant somewhat quicker than we anticipated and it was two weeks before the wedding when I found out!!

As to sudden mood swings – do not get me started ;o)


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: No characters related to Law & Order or Law & Order: Criminal Intent are mine.

A/N: On we go - let's see what happens next shall we. BTW if anyone has any strong views as to who Sammi's daddy should be – please let me know – I'm really torn on this issue and your opinions do count :o)

* * *

**29 August 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn**

The persistent knocking on Bobby's apartment door woke Bobby and Alex from a much-needed nap. Bobby rolled out of bed and pulled his sweatpants and t-shirt back on, while Alex rolled over and glared at the alarm clock. Just because the damn clock was telling her it was 3pm didn't mean she had to like the idea of waking up again.

Bobby opened the door without checking the peephole and was surprised to find himself facing an annoyed Louise Eames.

"What is going on?" Lou demanded, her voice raised almost to a shout, stepping past Bobby and into the hallway.

"Lou?" Bobby was still half-asleep and now thoroughly confused. What on earth was Alex's younger sister doing at his apartment, how did she even know where he lived? They had yet to tell Alex's family of her imminent change of address and none of them had ever been to his home before.

"Yes, Lou. Now, would you mind telling me where my sister is?" As she turned to face Bobby, Lou had the same expression on her face that Alex had worn the day before when she had left Van Buren's office ready to confront Lil in the Interrogation Room.

"I'm right here and stop shouting." Alex hollered as she stepped out of Bobby's bedroom, dressed in one of his old t-shirts and a pair of yoga tights.

Lou turned round and looked down the hall at her sister. Her voice was considerably quieter as she spoke again.

"Well you haven't answered your cell all day, your home phone has been going straight to your machine and when I went to your house to check on you I found the place full of boxes and all your closets empty. What on earth was I supposed to think?" There was just a hint of amusement in her tone, now that she'd figured out for herself what to think.

"Why were you checking up on me?" Alex's tone wasn't in the least amused.

She'd been putting up with her family's mixed feelings, and two of her siblings' negative comments, about her relationship with Bobby for four months and the idea of Louise suddenly turning against them, on top of everything else she had discovered during the past twenty-four hours, was too much for her to take at the moment.

"And how the hell did you find out Bobby's address?" Alex was now standing in front of Lou, her hands on her hips and her voice becoming louder.

"There was a mail redirection form on your desk!" Lou shot back, matching her sister's stance and tone of voice. "Which I figure, along with the obvious signs at your house, means you're going to be moving in here pretty soon. I thought you told Mom and Dad you wouldn't be moving until after the wedding in November."

"Enough." Bobby's voice silenced any further 'discussion' between the sisters. "Lou, that door there is the lounge." He indicated which door she should use with a wave of his hand. "Alex, calm down. I'll make some tea and bring it through. Do you feel up to eating something?"

Alex looked at Bobby for a moment, almost ready to argue with him but, seeing the concern in his eyes, she realised he was right, getting herself worked up wasn't such a good idea.

"Actually, I am pretty hungry. Could you make me some toast and then maybe we could order something in later?" She stepped around Lou and hugged Bobby. She didn't bother trying to reach up to kiss him, her back was still aching and the stretch upwards, when she wasn't wearing any shoes, was just too great for her right now.

Bobby heard Alex give a slightly frustrated sigh as she reached around his waist. He grinned down at the top of her head, safe in the knowledge that she couldn't see his face with her own pressed into his chest. He was well aware of the fact that she found their height difference, or as she sometime put it his 'excessive height', trying at times. He found this quite amusing, given that she'd also admitted to him that she found the fact that he could, should he so wish, quite literally pick her up and throw her over his shoulder to be in her own words 'quite a turn-on'.

He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "You go sit down, I'll be through in a few minutes. Okay?"

"'Kay." She mumbled into his chest.

Louise had headed into the lounge during Bobby and Alex's short exchange, so Alex turned away from Bobby and went to join her sister, whilst Bobby headed for the kitchen.

* * *

Louise was sitting in an armchair, staring at the door. As soon as Alex walked into the room, she started speaking.

"Why haven't you been answering your cell? Mom and Dad have been trying to get in touch with you since this morning, they're worried. You two ran out on the party last night and no one's heard from you since. You didn't come back to the party. You never called to let us know you wouldn't be back. What's going on? What was with those calls yesterday? And don't try telling me it was work. I overheard Bobby on the phone. Who's Uncle Nicky?" She finally ran out of breath and fell silent, as Alex took a seat on the couch.

Alex looked down at her hands for a moment, wondering exactly how much she should tell Louise. She decided to stick with the bare facts

"My call was from Captain Deakins. He'd had a call from the Homicide Division at the 2-7. They had a suspect in custody who was refusing to talk to anyone but Bobby. Since Bobby phone was busy, Deakins called me." Alex met her sister's eyes. "He does know about us, so it was only logical that he'd try my cell when he couldn't get Bobby on his."

"I know Deakins knows about you, you told me about your meeting with him months back." Louise had calmed down now and her concern was showing in her voice. "That doesn't explain why you didn't get back to the party last night or why you haven't answered your cell phone all day."

"Look, I'm sorry I didn't call okay. Things got a little crazy yesterday and I really couldn't face coming back to the party and having Beth and Junior giving us the third degree. As to my cell …" Alex looked down at herself, drawing Lou's attention to how she was dressed. "I've been having kind of a lazy day and I think my cell might be upstairs somewhere." Alex was pretty sure that her jacket and purse, which contained her cell, were in the upstairs room where she gone immediately they'd arrived back at the apartment the day before.

A smirk painted itself across Lou's face. "By lazy day … should I take it that … erm … you and Bobby have … both been having a 'lazy day'?"

"Lou, when are to you going to get the message that I am not going to give you 'details' about Bobby?" Alex couldn't help but smile at her sister's insistence on trying to find out the 'finer points' regarding Bobby's abilities in the bedroom.

* * *

By the time Bobby came into the room carrying a tray of tea and toast, the sisters were teasing each other and were both much more relaxed. Louise seemed to have dropped the subject of why they'd been called away from the party the day before but Bobby was pretty sure that Alex hadn't filled in all the 'blanks'. If she had, Louise would probably be going ballistic at this moment.

Lou looked at the tray and laughed. "Little late for breakfast, isn't it?"

Bobby looked at Alex, his question easily readable in his eyes. '_Are we telling?_' Alex's answer was just as easy for him to read. '_Not yet._'

Alex laughed along with her sister, then answered her. "Well I told you, I've been having a lazy day."

Then she noticed there were only two mugs on the tray and looked up at Bobby, who was still standing by the couch, fidgeting. Alex glanced at the clock on the mantel and mentally kicked herself. It was almost 3:30 and Bobby had to leave soon if he was going to be on time to visit his mother at Carmel Ridge.

Alex stood up and hugged him again. "I guess you need to get dressed and get movin'?"

Bobby decided to have just a little fun before he left. He scooped Alex up in his arms, kissing her softly when her mouth came level with his. "I guess I do." He grinned at her, as he continued to hold her against him.

Louise sat in the chair, openly laughing at Bobby's antics. "Is that what he did that night in the restaurant?" She managed to gasp out between peals of laughter, referring back to the night Alex had been set up with a blind date by their sister Beth, only to end up getting together with Bobby.

Alex threw a quick glare over her shoulder at her baby sister, then returned her attention to Bobby, returning his kiss before she spoke. "I think you should put me down now. You don't want to be late." She stroked his face gently.

He didn't even bother trying to resist the urge to kiss her again before dropping her gently back down to the floor. "Okay. I'm gonna grab a shower before I get dressed."

As he left the room, he couldn't help but overhear Lou continuing to interrogate Alex trying, as she had done on a fairly regular basis over the past four months, to get intimate details about their relationship. Bobby smiled to himself and shook his head in amusement at Lou's persistence as he made his way back to his bedroom to get ready for his weekly visit to his mother.

* * *

A/N: So - not much happening this chapter – Bobby's visit to his mother and finding out what went on between Lou and Alex after he left next chapter.

Just to recap (if anyone actually cares – and I know some of you do) – the options for 'Daddy' are (1) Bobby; (2) Michael – our murder victim; (3) Jeff – Lil's other ex who walked out while she was pregnant, or (with thanks to Cifan for the suggestion) knowing Lil there could always be someone else in the background who has yet to 'come to light'. Help me here, please!! My muse is driving me crazy with indecision on this and I'm afraid the story is about to stall if I can't make my mind up soon.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: No characters related to Law & Order or Law & Order: Criminal Intent are mine.

A/N: Let's see how Bobby's visit with his Mom goes, shall we? BTW - I have no idea how further education works in the US Forces - so apologies if I've got it wrong - I do know you can combine UK Higher Education Courses with military service so I've just gone with that idea.

* * *

**29 August 2004 – Carmel Ridge Psychiatric Facility**

"Hi Mom." Bobby smiled and greeted his mother as he walked into her room.

"Bobby, I was beginning to worry. Is Alex with you?" Frances Goren leaned to look around her son.

Alex had first visited Bobby's mother the weekend after they'd become a couple and the older woman had taken to her straight away, much to both Bobby and Alex's relief. Alex now came with Bobby every second or third Sunday, depending on her family obligations, and Frances always seemed to enjoy the opportunity of speaking with her future daughter-in-law.

"Not today, her sister called by to visit, so she stayed home." He didn't miss the flash of disappointment that crossed his mother's face. "Maybe she'll be able to come see you next week. I'm pretty sure she doesn't have anything planned."

"I just hope her family appreciate her." Frances, let out a disgruntled sigh.

Bobby decided it was best not to point out that Frances tended not to appreciate his own efforts all that much, given that such a comment would be bound to set her off. Instead he tried to change the subject.

"Lewis has a new project for us to work on …"

"Have you seen Frank at all lately?" Frances's tone was half hopeful and half irritated.

Bobby felt his stomach tighten. It was never a good sign when his mother started to ask him about Frank.

"No, Mom. I haven't seen Frank."

"No, I suppose you're too busy for your brother these days. Afterall you're so wrapped up in your work and Alex you barely even have time to visit your own mother."

"Mom, I speak with you every day and I've apologised (numerous times, he added silently) for missing our visit the weekend of the wedding. Things had been crazy all week with making the arrangements and Alex and I just needed to spend a little time together to sort things out between ourselves."

He decided it was best not to remind his mother they'd actually spent the afternoon at Alex's parents house that particular Sunday, that it had been his 'official' meet the girlfriend's parents dinner. She couldn't understand why it had been so important to him, given that he'd known Alex for years and had met her parents on numerous occasions. After the scene Beth had made that day Bobby had been in no state to deal with his mother. He'd rung the hospital, explained that he wouldn't be able to visit and then spoken to her for almost half an hour, even that had exhausted him.

"You know, Bobby. If you'd just let me live somewhere nearer the city, you wouldn't need to travel so far to come visit. Frank would have thought of that, he would have found me somewhere closer to home."

'_Here we go. Frank the wonder-son. Yeah, well, I wonder where he's been the last twenty-plus years while I've been looking after you._' Bobby knew what to expect next, it was pointless to try and distract his mother once she got onto the subject of Frank. He tried anyway.

"Mom, really, this is the best place. We tried facilities nearer the city, remember, back when I was in the army … "

"Frank would be able to find me somewhere near the city. He'd take proper care of his mother, would my Frankie, if only he weren't so busy. He's a scientist, he has important research to do. I know he never mentions what he's working on but I think it's a cure for my illness."

'_He never mentions what he's working on because he's never here and what he's probably working on is either his next fix or his next gambling scheme._' Bobby wouldn't say the words but he couldn't stop the thoughts from slashing their way across his brain.

Frances continued to ramble about her 'wonderful' older son. "Frankie got a full scholarship to go to college. Not like you, taking college classes in the army. I mean what kind of education is that, anyway? Trying to take classes, while you were running around all over the world having fun."

'_Yeah, because it was so much fun trying to keep on top of my studies, carry out my duties and make sure you were taken care of in some second-rate facility, thousands of miles away, that was taking almost half my pay every month._' Bobby winced at the bitterness of his thoughts. She was really hitting all the buttons today. The situation with Lil was obviously wearing down his defences.

"Mom, I'd hardly call military service running around the world having fun." He managed to keep his voice light, teasing even.

"You just had to get away didn't you. Frankie was already gone to college but you, you couldn't stay and look after me. No, you had to go gadding off to see the world. Playing police man in the army."

'_Frank was already dropped out of college, drinking like a fish and gambling away every penny he could lay his hands on, including coming home and stealing from you._' "Ma, I needed to get a job, remember. There weren't many things I could do at eighteen that paid as well as the army did and would still allow me to continue my education. You … you couldn't work by then. With Frank away at college and Dad gone, we needed to have money to pay the bills, Ma, you remember." He hated the slightly pleading way the last part sounded as it came out of his mouth.

"Needed the money. Your father, now him, he always had enough money to play the ponies or buy a drink, never had enough money to pay the bills at the end of the month though. Then you had the nerve, after running off and leaving me to get sick, you had the nerve to come home on leave and have me locked away." Like most schizophrenics Frances's mind could switch tracks at the speed of light.

"Ma, you had a psychotic break. The neighbours found you wandering the streets in the middle of winter without a coat or shoes on …" Bobby could still remember the sick feeling when he'd been told by his Commanding Officer that he was to return home on emergency leave following a call from the NYPD to his unit, which had then been in Germany.

"You, you let them lock me away just because I decided to go for a little walk in the snow. Then you needed the money to pay them to keep me there. That's why you needed money. Needed the money, your father and money were never a good combination. Oh no, your father, he always kept me short of cash. That's why I had to go out to work after Frankie was born …"

Bobby sat there and listened as his mother rambled on about how badly him and his father had treated her and how Frank was the only one who really cared, how he was trying to find a cure for her, that was why he was never able to visit, he was simply too busy. Then she'd complained some more about the standards at the hospital, how the nursing staff were always stealing little things from her, the doctors never listened to what she had to say to them.

After another twenty minutes or so Bobby couldn't take any more. He said his farewells and left. His mother's bitter admonitions ringing in his ears.

* * *

'_Well, at least she didn't have an actual episode._' Bobby thought to himself as he sat in his car outside the hospital trying to pull himself together.

He had been seriously tempted to skip his visit today and now he sincerely wished that he had. He'd wanted nothing more than to stay home with Alex and spoil her, cook her something nice for dinner, try to make sure she stayed relaxed, hopefully take her mind of the whole, messy situation Lil had thrown in their faces yesterday. The last thing she needed, especially knowing that she was pregnant, was the stress that even the possibility of his being Sammi's father must be causing her and they hadn't really talked about it yet. If Louise hadn't arrived when she did he would probably have stayed home with Alex and discussed what they would, or could, do about the situation with Lil and Sammi, and in the process, hopefully, relieve her of any worries she had about the possible fallout from Lil's assertion that he was the child's father.

Bobby smiled softly at the thought of how that discussion would eventually go. Knowing Alex she'd support him no matter what the outcome of the DNA test, of that much he was sure. He was no longer insecure about her love for him, she had proven to him over the last four months hope deeply she felt for him and he could not bring himself to doubt that. The main problem would be Lil and how she might decide to try and manipulate the situation if Sammi was his child.

He realised that what he really needed now was to get home to Alex and talk this out with her, if she felt up to talking. She had still seemed a little tired when he'd left the apartment earlier and he hoped she hadn't suffered any further effects from the pregnancy while he was out. He started the engine, pulled out of the parking lot and headed for home.

* * *

**29 August 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn**

Alex glanced at the clock. '_He should be home soon. I think I'll get some Chinese delivered._' She reached for the phone, ordering their usual on autopilot, before hanging up and flopping back down on the couch.

It was going on eight o'clock, given the hour and a half drive each way, plus an hour or so to visit with his mother, she expected Bobby to be back any time around now. Sometimes he stayed for more than an hour, but if he did, he would usually send her a text letting her know. She'd retrieved her cell phone, along with her coat and purse, from upstairs after Louise had left, around six o'clock.

They'd had a long chat, Lou had filled her in on what had happened at the party the night before, the latest comments from Beth and Junior about herself and Bobby, the rest of the family's reactions. Alex had mentioned neither the details of why they'd been called away from the party, nor the fact that she was pregnant, the last thing she needed was to give her family any additional ammunition and although Lou was still on Alex and Bobby's side, she simply wouldn't be able to keep such information to herself. Thankfully Lou hadn't pressed her sister for details of why they'd been called away the day before, she'd gotten so wrapped up in telling Alex what had gone on at the party and details of the gifts Emma, their niece, had received. After talking about the party they'd chatted about work, life in general, nothing in particular.

Since Louise left Alex had been lazing around, laying on the couch, listening to music, trying not to think about anything. Of course, not thinking about anything wasn't really an option. First she worried about how Bobby's visit with his mother was going, the fact that he hadn't extended his visit could be either good or bad, she could never be certain until he either rang her or got home. Then she'd started considering the possible implications of Lil Giovaissi's actions and whether or not Bobby might be Sammi's father. Alex had to admit to herself that, on looks alone, it was a possibility; Sammi's dark curls and deep brown eyes could come from her mother's family but they could just as easily come from Goren.

That had set her off thinking about the child she was now carrying; his child, their child, a baby of her own that she wouldn't have to hand over to someone else when it was born. Would it be a boy or a girl, which would Bobby prefer, she wondered. Would the baby be dark, like Bobby, or would it take more after her family, who were mostly fair-haired. She had no idea what Bobby's father or grandparents had looked like. She knew his mother was dark-haired and Bobby had her eyes; she'd seen a picture of Frank as a child, in Frances's room at Carmel Ridge when she'd gone with Bobby to visit, so she knew his colouring was dark, although not as dark as Bobby's she'd guess.

She figured the odds were in favour of dark over fair. Afterall, she'd been reaching for the peroxide bottle most of her adult life even though she'd been a natural blond as a child and young teen. She was, secretly, quite jealous of the fact that both her sisters had stayed fair, whereas her hair had grown darker as she got older. She grinned at the realisation she had no idea what her natural colour might be these days, she'd been colouring her hair for so long now. Maybe she should let the dye job grow out and see what it looked like these days, she might even be able to give Bobby's greying temples a run for their money.

She was laughing to herself at that thought when there was a knock at the door. Alex headed for the door, picking her purse up off the hall table on the way. Having paid for the Chinese and put the bags of food on the kitchen table, she set about getting plates and cutlery out, getting things ready so that they could eat when Bobby arrived home.

* * *

As soon as Bobby walked through the door, Alex knew the visit with his mother hadn't gone well. Although he didn't slam the door as he closed it behind him, she could sense his tension even from the lounge. She stood up from the couch, walking out into the hall. He was standing, forehead resting against the apartment door, obviously trying to gain control of his emotions.

Alex walked up behind him, slipping her arms around his waist and laying her own forehead against his back. She felt the shiver that ran through his body at her touch.

"I take it things didn't go well?" She gave him to opening to talk about his visit with his mother or not, whichever way he wanted to play it was fine with her. She knew he still found it difficult to open up on this subject, even to her.

He turned round, wrapping her in his arms and pulling her tightly against him.

"You could say that. Apparently I'm neglecting her in favour of you. You're neglecting her in favour of your family, at the same time as you're supposed to show your family how much you appreciate them. Every member of staff at Carmel Ridge is either incompetent or dishonest. Oh, and, of course, Frank is looking for a cure for her illness and that's the only reason he never comes to see her." He ground the words out.

It wasn't often he vented about the way his mother treated him. He knew it was because of her illness and she was no more responsible for the things she said to him now than she had been for how she had treated him as a child, but today's visit on top of the tension he was already feeling was too much, even for him.

Alex pressed herself against him, hoping the contact would help. His response was sudden and took her by surprise. His hands dropped lower and he cupped her, raising her up and kissing her. That wasn't unusual in itself but the almost animal groan/growl that ripped through him as he claimed her mouth and turned to press her against the wall was. His kiss was deep, passionate and urgent but there was an edge of desperation to it, almost as if he was afraid she might reject him. She kissed him back just as urgently, allowing her anger at recent events to boil up along with her desire for her lover. Their tongues fought for dominance, their teeth nipping at each other's lips.

She wrapped her legs around his waist, instantly and deeply aroused. She knew this probably wasn't the healthiest way to deal with the barrage of negative emotions they had both been hit with over the past couple of days but her body didn't seem to give a damn. He pressed into her, feeling her heat through their clothes, feeling himself harden in response. This wasn't a good idea, he knew they should be talking things through, discussing the situation with Lil and Sammi, he should be asking her about how things had gone at the party after they'd left, he should be opening up to her about his mother and how she had made him feel today. He knew all that but right now he needed her, needed to lose himself in her and, by some miracle, she seemed willing to let him.

She moaned as he released her mouth, pressing fevered kisses across her cheek, nipping at the lobe of her ear.

"Need you, Eames." The words came thickly from his mouth, almost a moan. "Want you so much. Gotta have you."

She pressed herself as tightly as she could against the thick erection she could feel rubbing against her. "Yes." She gasped, unable to form any more of an answer.

It was all the answer he needed from her. He turned them both away from the wall, carrying her, still wrapped around him, to their room.

* * *

A/N: I figure even Goren has to have a point at which he needs to find a way of shutting down his brain – this is my solution to that problem. I'm saving the smut for 'We Shouldn't' so the next chapter will be the 'morning after'.


	9. Chapter 9

Disclaimer: No characters related to Law & Order or Law & Order: Criminal Intent are mine.

A/N: This chapter ventures over into 'M' territory – nothing too graphic but definitely smutty – I couldn't stop her – okay ;o)

* * *

**30 August 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn**

'_Oh God, what did I drink last night?_' was the first thought to go through Alex Eames' mind as she woke up, feeling sick and with seemingly every inch of her body aching.

She had no more time to think as she rolled out of bed and darted into the bathroom, making it just in time to empty what little there was in her stomach into the toilet. She'd just flushed the toilet when Bobby walked into the bathroom to check on her. He stopped dead in his tracks in the doorway, staring at her, his eyes wide.

"Oh God, Alex, baby, I'm so sorry." The words tumbled from his mouth in an agonised gasp.

The fact that he was focusing on her body rather than her face made her look down. A mischievous grin curved her lips as she took in the marks arrayed across her body. She stepped towards the sink, rinsing her mouth before looking in the mirror and seeing the two large love-bites on her neck. Bobby was still standing stock still in the doorway, waiting for her to start in on him.

Their lovemaking the night before had been frenzied and far rougher than usual. In his desperate need not to think anymore he'd kissed every inch of her, this morning it was obvious that he'd done more than just kiss her. From her neck to her thighs she was covered in a series of love-bites and, now, as she stood with her back to him he could see marks on her back and buttocks where he had gripped her too tightly.

Alex turned around to face him. He could barely believe that she wasn't shouting at him, nevermind that there was a smile on her face. She took the few steps that separated them, bringing one hand up to stroke his cheek tenderly.

"Did you hear me complaining last night?" There was no recrimination in her tone.

"No, but … I mean … for cryin' out loud, Eames … look at what I did to you." Alex wasn't sure if the reproach in his voice was purely for himself or partly for her because she wasn't mad at him.

She smiled even wider, knowing he was really shaken up if he was calling her Eames whilst they were both stood, completely naked, in his bathroom, at least using that tone of voice.

"Before you decide to beat yourself up too badly, you may want to take a look in the mirror."

Bobby glanced down and colour flooded his cheeks. His own body, particularly his chest and shoulders, bore it's own collection of reminders of the night before. He twisted to check his back, finding scratches there, some of which he really should be able to remember her inflicting, given the depth of them. He stepped back slightly, his eyes once again scanning her body.

"But Alex … I shouldn't have … I mean I should have been more careful … are you sure you're okay? I mean … I didn't … I didn't really hurt you did I … you're alright … you and the baby?" His eyes were now glued to her stomach, as if by looking hard enough he could somehow see the child within her.

"Bobby, I'm fine. A little achy, I'll admit, but fine. Morning sickness, obviously still functioning properly. Which, believe it or not, is a good sign, means all those hormones are still rushing around doing their job." She took hold of one of his large hands, placing it on her stomach and covering it with both of her own. "We're both fine and so are you, I hope."

He finally allowed himself to relax. Dropping his forehead to hers he kissed the tip of her nose.

"Better than I was yesterday. You?" She knew he was asking about the stress they'd both been feeling with regard to Lil, not to mention her family.

"Good, me too. I will now have my one cup of coffee for the day, which you may prepare whilst I take my shower." She ordered him, faking an upper-crust mock-English accent, her tone teasing, as she stepped away from him and turned towards the shower.

"Anything else?" He managed to make the two words sound impossibly suggestive.

"Perhaps a slice of toast." She continued to speak in an overly-ladylike fashion as she stepped into the shower, pulling the curtain closed behind her. Her next words came out with typical Eames-ish snarkiness. "Oh, and Goren. You ever, call me 'Eames' in that tone again when we're naked …" she paused for effect, knowing he was still standing there listening to her, "… and I will inflict real damage on you. Got it?"

His soft chuckle, followed by an incredibly sensual sounding, "Yes, Eames", was almost enough to make her drag him into the shower with her and to hell with being late for work.

* * *

**30 August 2004 – MCS Squad Room, One Police Plaza, New York**

Detectives Goren and Eames sat at their desks, occasionally eyeing the clock on the squad room wall as they worked their way through what seemed like a mountain of documents pertaining to their latest case. The afternoon was dragging. There were stacks of financial statements, legal documents, telephone records and family papers to go through relating to the double homicide they'd been working on for the past week and a half but nothing was jumping out at either of them that tied either of their suspects to the murdered couple.

Goren was getting fidgety, which wasn't that unusual. The fact that Eames kept shifting in her seat as if she couldn't get comfortable, however, was. By the time the clock rolled round to three-thirty Eames' constant shuffling was becoming extremely distracting to her partner.

"Eames, how about we go an get a coffee from down the street? I'm sick of the sludge from the break room." Goren's suggestion was met with a bright smile from his partner.

"Sounds good to me." She was up from her desk and half way to the door by the time he caught up with her.

They walked in companionable silence to the elevator. Luckily for them the first elevator to arrive was empty. As soon as they were in the elevator and the doors closed Eames turned to him.

"Coffee? How could you suggest coffee when you know I can't drink it?" Her voice was heavy with exasperation.

"You were driving me crazy, shuffling about like that. What's up with you? Is everything okay?"

"Bobby, for pity's sake stop worrying. Are you gonna be like this the entire time I'm pregnant? You were never like this while I was carrying Nathan." She'd stepped closer to him, her hand pressing against his chest. '_God he smells good._' She found herself thinking, as her fingers started to caress him through the fabric of his suit jacket and shirt.

"Alex, I was like this the entire time you were pregnant with Nathan. It just wasn't my place to say anything about it." He grabbed her hand to stop its movement. '_Not here._' He thought, desperately, as he felt an all too familiar weight below his waist.

"Oh." His admission brought a lump to her throat, which she quickly swallowed. "Bobby, I think we may have a slight problem." '_This is ridiculous._'

He let go of her hand as the elevator doors opened, revealing the foyer of the building. They stepped out of the elevator and, in unspoken agreement, waited until they were outside to continue their conversation.

Alex turned in the opposite direction to the one Bobby expected her to. Confused, he swung around and caught up to her. It took longer than he had anticipated, she was moving rapidly along the sidewalk.

"Eames, what 'slight problem'?" His tone was sharp, almost scared.

"You know about pregnancy cravings, right?" She sounded a little embarrassed.

The fear he had been feeling dropped away instantly and he wondered if she'd had a sudden urge for some strange, particularly weird food combination.

"Well, yeah. I read every pregnancy advice book I could get my hands on as soon as you started talking about being a surrogate for Beth." He didn't mention the medical texts he'd researched during that time.

"Yeah, I figured you probably did." She turned off the sidewalk and into the small community garden they had visited one lunchtime at the very beginning of their relationship. She looked around, relieved that there was no one around.

"Eames," he still called her that when they were on 'company time' so to speak, "what's the problem."

"Bobby, do you remember what one of the more 'awkward' cravings can be during pregnancy?" She had led him to the farthest corner of the garden where there was a bench almost surrounded by high bushes that made it completely unseen from the street or the surrounding buildings.

"Awkward?" He eyed her suspiciously.

"Well yeah, awkward." Her fingers were unbuttoning his suit jacket as she spoke.

She pushed the jacket open and buried her face in his chest, inhaling his scent and feeling a delightful shiver run through her body.

"Alex, what are you doing?" One of her hands had now travelled down below his waist and her fingers were caressing him through the fabric of his pants.

"Bobby, what do you think I'm doing?" She reached up with her free hand and pulled him down into the kind of kiss that left him in no doubt as to her intentions.

She backed him up to the bench as they kissed. The backs of his legs hit the bench and he stopped abruptly, grabbing her waist with one hand and the hand that was caressing him with the other. He stared down at her, his eyes wide with a combination of shock and arousal.

"You mean …" he leaned back down and kissed her gently on the lips, "… you mean to tell me you want …" he blushed, "… you want to … right here?"

"Bobby, the reason I haven't been able to sit still all afternoon …" she managed to free her hand from his grip and return it to its previous position, "… is because just the sight of you … just sitting there opposite you … has gotten me so damn worked up I can't even think."

She kissed him again, the intensity of her arousal becoming more apparent by the second as pressed herself against him.

"I need you, Bobby, and I mean now." She shoved him gently in the chest, catching him off balance (both physically and mentally) and he dropped down onto the bench. She straddling him as he landed, one hand going to his shoulder to keep her own balance.

He could barely believe what was happening. His fiancée, the future mother of his child, was demanding that he take care of a very personal pregnancy craving, on a park bench in the middle of a working afternoon.

"Alex, baby, surely you can wait …" his attempt to protest was cut off as her mouth landed on his once more.

He felt her hand on his zipper, then her fingers against his bare flesh. His last coherent thought, as he gave in to her demand, was that it was a good thing she'd chosen to wear a skirt to work that morning.

* * *

By four-ten Goren and Eames were back at their desks, both considerably more relaxed than they had been before their 'coffee break'. Goren's desk phone rang.

"Major Case, Detective Goren." He answered, then listened for a moment before replying to the caller. "Yes, Detective Green, we can spare the time this afternoon. Can you and Briscoe be here by say five." He looked at his partner, who was obviously listening to his end of the conversation. "No, I'm sure, that'll be fine. Thanks." He dropped the phone back into its cradle.

"What does Green want?" Eames didn't bother to beat around the bush.

"Apparently they've been going through Lil's personal papers. Not only is she claiming I'm Sammi's father, she put my name on the birth certificate. They just want to go over a few things with me."

"Don't tell me they're considering you as a suspect in the homicide?" She spat the words out incredulously.

"Well, maybe a person of interest? Afterall, if I knew I was Sammi's father and Michael was threatening to try and take her away, that could be considered motive. Especially as it was fairly obvious that he was unstable. They just want to check a few dates and times, that's all. Make sure I couldn't have been where they know he was. Now that they've got confirmation of time of death they'll want to know where I was. It's standard stuff, Eames, you know that."

He managed to maintain an outward appearance of being calm, even as he felt his gut tightening at Lil causing yet more problems for him and Alex. They hadn't yet discussed the situation properly, having gotten the call about Lil's arrest on Saturday, being somewhat distracted on Sunday and back at work today, Monday. His mind spun at the idea of Lil having put his name on the birth certificate, whilst maintaining to her family that Jeff was the father. He couldn't figure out what she could have been thinking to do that and he wasn't about to go see her to ask.

Eames watched her partner closely for a moment. She knew he wasn't nearly so calm as he appeared to be. She could feel the tension rolling off him and hoped that Green and Briscoe would get their investigation over with quickly so that some of the pressure would ease off Bobby.

"Okay, I know they need to check things out but …" She stopped mid-sentence as he raised an eyebrow.

"Eames, if we were investigating a case with these circumstances, who would we be looking at?"

"His stalking victim, obviously. Other boyfriends or family members who might have been trying to protect her. Colleagues who might also have a reason to want the guy dead." She stopped at the glint of amusement in his eyes. He knew she was deliberately avoiding the obvious answer. "Okay, okay, the potential fathers of the child. I know it makes sense to look at you under the circumstances but for Pete's sake, Bobby, you're a cop …"

"Now, Eames, you wouldn't be advocating the 'buddy boy system' would you?" He countered, knowing only too well how much she hated the idea of cops doing favours to cover up for fellow officers. "Look at it this way. They're coming here rather than us having to go to them. That's gotta be a good thing, right?"

"Yeah, right." She replied, her voice dripping cynicism.

* * *

A/N: Ain't pregnancy cravings a bitch ;o)


	10. Chapter 10

Disclaimer: No characters related to Law & Order or Law & Order: Criminal Intent are mine.

* * *

**30 August 2004 – Conference Room, Major Case Squad, One Police Plaza, New York**

Detectives Briscoe and Green sat opposite Goren and Eames in one of the conference rooms off the MCS squad room. Neither of the homicide detectives looked comfortable, which made Eames both amused and slightly nervous. Goren, as far as the men seated opposite him could tell, was perfectly calm. His partner, of course, knew better; she just hoped that, whatever new surprises were about to be thrown at them, Bobby would be able to retain control of the anger she knew he was feeling about this entire situation.

"How about we get this over with guys? I have a date tonight and I don't think the lady in question will be pleased if I'm late." Goren sounded almost jovial.

He and Alex did, in fact, have plans for the evening. They were heading to Sal's to have dinner with some of their friends, not something they would usually be doing on a work night but it was Tina Santorini's birthday so everyone was getting together to celebrate.

The two homicide cops did a double take, in light of the scene in their office only a couple of days before. Goren laughed lightly and Eames' elbow dug him in the ribs.

"She's one of the ladies involved." Goren, quipped, nodding towards his partner.

"One of the ladies?" Briscoe let the rather loaded question hang.

"It's a friend's birthday." Eames clarified, putting an end to Goren's teasing.

Goren shot his partner a slightly hurt look. He'd been enjoying the confused expressions on the faces of their colleagues from the 2-7. She just rolled her eyes at him and gave him a look that told him to start behaving, this was supposed to be a serious situation.

"You sure you want your partner here for this?" Green asked, his slight trepidation clear in his voice. After Eames' behaviour towards Lil on Saturday it was no surprise that he and Briscoe were a little worried about how she might react to the questions they needed answered.

"She's staying." There was no room for discussion as far as Goren was concerned and his tone made that obvious.

"Fine," Briscoe replied, his tone all business, "in that case. Where were you on Friday night?"

"I worked until around seven. We're working a double homicide, plus a burglary at one of the mayor's friend's houses, at the moment. You know what it's like running a paper-trail." The homicide detectives nodded at that comment, they were only too well aware of how time-consuming, not to mention headache-inducingly boring it could be going through people's papers trying to pick out the one thing that would break a murder case wide open. "Then I went home, had dinner, a couple of beers. Settled in for the evening watching some TV. Went to bed around midnight."

"You go anywhere between work and home?" Briscoe sounded as if there was something Goren had forgotten to mention, which put Eames on alert. Had they been checking into her partner's movements before they came to talk to him?

"Stopped off at the market to get the fixings for dinner and to pick up a gift. Other than that, no."

"A gift?" Green asked.

"Birthday present for a four year old girl." Goren was also now taking this seriously. Briscoe's question flagged up to him that the other team were, as Eames had suggested, looking at him seriously for this rather than just 'going through the motions'.

"Who's the four year old girl?" Green continued his line of questioning.

"My niece." Eames interjected.

"From that I take it that the two of you are, as we presumed, involved in a personal relationship beyond your professional partnership?" This time Briscoe asked the question, turning his attention to Eames.

"And our Captain is aware of the relationship, as is the Chief of D's. We're not hiding anything from anyone." Eames responded, adding to herself, '_Apart from the fact I happen to be carrying my partner's child._'

"Eames, were you aware of your _partner's_ past relationship with Miss Giovaissi?" Briscoe emphasised the word partner with obvious sarcasm and a raised eyebrow.

Goren looked from Briscoe to Eames then to Green. '_Where are they going with this? They can't possibly be thinking Alex is involved!_'

"Yes. I was a bridesmaid at her cousin's wedding a few months ago. We met there. The fact that she and Goren had been involved previously did come up."

"Did Miss Giovaissi mention at that time that Goren is the father of her child?" Briscoe continue to direct his questions at Eames rather than Goren.

Her stomach lurched at the question, her anger combining with the hormones flooding her system. She turned pale and pushed her chair back quickly. Not bothering to answer Briscoe's question or trying to take the time to make excuses, Eames rushed out of the conference room, making a dash for the nearest ladies' room.

"Shit, just give me a couple of minutes, guys. I'll be right back." Goren was out of the door before he'd finished speaking, leaving behind two very confused looking detectives.

* * *

Bobby made it to the ladies' room less than half a minute behind Alex. He didn't stop to think, he simply rushed through the door that was still closing behind her. Thankfully there was no one on the other side of the door. He could hear her retching in the first cubicle.

"Alex, you okay?" He asked when she finally went quiet.

The cubicle door swung open. Alex stood before him, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment whilst the rest of her face was unusually pale, even for her.

"What do you think?" She growled the words, heading to the sink to rinse her mouth out. When she'd finished she rounded on him. "What the hell do you think you're doing in here?"

Goren suddenly realised where he was, his only thoughts up to this point being for Alex's, and their baby's, welfare. He grinned at her sheepishly. "Checking that you're okay. Afterall, this is at least half my fault. Right?"

"Oh, this is totally your fault. You and your 'worth a mini-Eames to two'."

He hadn't realised she clearly remembered the comments he had made to the Captain when they'd first become a couple and his grin widened at the realisation, even as she continued to vent at him.

"You're not the one who's gonna be throwing up at unexpected and inconvenient times for the next few months. Not to mention next to no coffee and no alcohol for the next eight months. Do not get me started on food restrictions, Goren." She glared at him, sparks of anger and resentment flashed in her eyes. "I think we're gonna have to tell the captain sooner rather than later because I was never this sick with Nathan. That means we're gonna have to tell my family as well, before the news makes its way along the entire NYPD grapevine and gets back to Dad or one of the boys. I really didn't want to have to deal with Beth and Junior's reactions just yet." Her eyes cooled at her final admission, her anger running out of steam. She looked up at him from under her brows, her head was dropped forward so that her chin almost rested against the top of her chest.

"Alex, we'll deal with it. All of it. We can tell Deakins today if you want. Hell we can tell the entire world anytime you want to." He gently brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, allowing his fingers to brush her cheek as he withdrew his hand.

She failed in her attempt to stifle a chuckle at his comment, her emotions were all over the place. She raised her chin, looking him in the eye.

"Tell me something, Goren, is there anything you wouldn't do for me?" Her tone was trying for teasing but not quite making it.

He leaned down, right at this moment not giving a damn where they were and whether or not his actions were appropriate. His lips claimed hers gently, reassuring her in the most basic way possible of his love and support. When their mouths parted company, he leaned his forehead against hers.

"Just don't ever ask me to give you up." He didn't try to disguise the seriousness of his comment.

She pulled her head back so that she was looking at him properly.

"Not gonna happen, Robert Goren, not a chance." She leaned into him once more, kissing him softly for a moment then pulling back again. "We have an interview to complete. Then we need to speak to Deakins."

"Shit, I forgot about Briscoe and Green." Goren groaned.

"You just left them sitting there in the conference room didn't you." Eames laughed up at him.

"Fraid so." He looked down at her, his eyes now serious. "You sure you're okay?"

"Oh, enough with the over-anxious father routine, already, Goren."

He shook his head slightly at her. "That would be over-anxious fiancé/father, I'm worried about you, not just the baby."

"I'm fine, we're both fine. How often am I gonna end up having to say that to you?" She smiled at him indulgently. To be honest, if anyone else was hovering and worrying like this she'd be kicking their ass but this was Bobby and she knew, only too well, that he simply could not help himself.

He smiled back, pushing down the impulse to pull her into a hug and kiss her. "At least three times a day, seven days a week for the next eight months?" He teased.

"Oh brother, I may have to move back to Rockaway just to stop you from mother-hen-ing me to death."

"Wouldn't do any good, Eames. I can drive, I have a car and I have keys to your house."

Just then there was a knock at the door. "Eames, you in there?"

* * *

They looked at each other in horror as they recognised their captain's voice.

"Yes, Captain Deakins." Eames replied.

"Briscoe and Green need to know how much longer you're going to be and whether you know where Goren got to."

Goren winced, there was no chance of him getting out of the ladies' room without Deakins seeing him.

'_Oh, well. Might as well 'bite the bullet' as they say._' "Actually Captain, I'm in here."

The door burst open and Deakins walked in, his anger at catching his best team together in what could only be considered compromising circumstances evident.

"What the hell is going on here? I've taken enough of a risk allowing you two to continue partnering together. Do not tell me you've been …" The way his eyes examined their clothing told the two detectives what was going through their captain's mind.

"Captain!" Goren did not usually 'bark' at the older man for whom he had a great deal of respect, but right now he sounded very much like the Army Sergeant he used to be, addressing a private who had stepped out of line. "Before you go any further, I assure you nothing inappropriate was taking place. Eames got sick during the interview, I came to check on her …"

At that moment all the colour drained out of Alex's face again and she bolted into the stall directly opposite her. When she'd finished retching again, she wiped her mouth with some toilet tissue and turned to the two men staring at her, one with obvious concern, one with confusion. Goren stepped forward, ignoring their captain's presence, and wrapped an arm around a rather shaky Eames, helping her out of the stall and to the sink to finish cleaning herself up.

'_Oh no, oh please no_.' Deakins thought to himself as realisation struck.

Alex Eames had a cast iron gut under normal circumstances. He had known to woman to eat chilli, Thai and Indian food spicy enough to peel paint, often shared in the squad room with her partner. The only time in her five years at Major Case he had ever known Eames to have a sensitive stomach had been during her surrogate pregnancy the previous year. Combine that with the fact that he had seen Alex tear a strip off one of the civilian staff late last week, when her mood had gone from perfectly normal to furious and then back to perfectly normal within a matter of a few minutes, and to a father-of-three there was only one logical conclusion. Especially given the way Goren was fussing over his partner/fiancée.

Piercing blue eyes bored into dark brown ones over the top of Eames' head.

"You just had to do it didn't you. You had to go and get her pregnant." There was no question in Deakins' voice, no doubt whatsoever, there was just a touch of anger though.

A derisive snort drew his eyes to those of his other detective. "I don't think it's fair to blame Bobby for this, at least not entirely, Sir. Much as I would like to at the moment."

Deakins' eyes flitted rapidly back and forth from Eames to Goren and back again, a few times, finally settling on Goren.

"When, exactly, were you gonna get around to informing me?" Deakins seethed.

Dealing with Goren whilst Eames had been on maternity leave had been one of the most difficult periods he'd ever had to go through as a police captain and he was not looking forward to repeating the experience. Not to mention explaining to the Chief of D's that one half of his 'Golden Team' was going to be indisposed for several months, again, less than a year after she had returned from maternity leave.

"We only found out yesterday, Captain." Goren's voice had returned to its normal tone.

"I haven't even seen my doctor yet to confirm the result and check dates." Eames spoke at the same time as Goren.

"Does this mean you haven't told your family yet?" Deakins sounded less angry as he addressed Eames this time.

She shook her head as she replied. "Haven't had much chance really."

"I'll tell Briscoe and Green that Bobby's taken you to see the doctor, on my orders. They can see you tomorrow, either here or at their house." When Goren looked as if he might protest, Deakins held up a hand to silence him. "You two are going to go and see Maureen and Johnny."

That made Eames smile, Jimmy Deakins was one of the few people who referred to her mother by her given name as opposed to her nickname. Then again, Deakins had known her mother since before her father did.

"I strongly suggest you also at least try to get in to see your doctor, if not today then tomorrow morning, Alex. Oh, and, congratulations to both of you." Deakins turned to leave, then turned back. "Goren, I do not want to find you in here again. Got it?" With that final comment, and not bothering to wait for Goren to respond, Deakins left his detectives and went to speak to the team from Homicide.

* * *

**30 August 2004 – Home of John & Molly Eames, Queens, New York**

"Mom, Dad, you here?" Alex hollered as she walked through the front door of her parents' house.

It hadn't taken them long to get from Manhattan to Queens. Goren had driven, whilst Eames telephoned her doctor's office and managed to arrange an appointment for eight o'clock the following morning. Then she'd sent a text to Lainie Santorini, asking her to let 'the family' know they were going to be a late but should be there by eight-thirty, rather than eight o'clock as previously arranged.

"In the kitchen, honey." Her mother replied.

"Well, let's get it over with." Alex muttered, walking towards the kitchen, Bobby following close behind her.

* * *

A/N: And you'll just have to wait and see what Alex's parents have to say about Alex's news. I won't keep you waiting too long though ;o)


	11. Chapter 11

Disclaimer: No characters related to Law & Order or Law & Order: Criminal Intent are mine.

A/N: Let's see what Alex's parents think about the baby.

* * *

**30 August 2004 – Home of Johnny & Molly Eames, Queens, New York**

By the time Alex and Bobby had made it from the front door into the kitchen there were two cups of coffee waiting for them on Molly Eames' kitchen table. Alex sat down, taking a cup and inhaling the aroma longingly.

"Eames." Bobby spoke behind her, she turned her head and glared at him.

"I know, I wasn't gonna drink any." She put the cup down on the table. "You got any of that blackcurrant tea in, Mom?"

Molly stared at her daughter for a moment, a wide grin splitting her face. "Well that didn't take the two of you very long, did it."

"A little obvious?" Alex grinned back at her mother.

"When did you find out?" Molly sat down opposite her daughter.

"Did the test yesterday, seeing the doctor in the morning to confirm and check dates."

Molly glanced up at Bobby, who was still standing behind Alex's chair.

"How do you feel about this?"

"I … I couldn't be happier, Mrs Eames." Bobby was a little surprised at how well Alex's mother was taking the news but there was no mistaking the happiness in voice or in the smile currently plastered all over his face.

"Good, that's what I like to hear. And what happened to calling me Molly, you don't have to be so nervous, Bobby. You have no idea how many times I've sat here and listened to one or other of my boys dithering over whether or not this is the right time, can they afford it, can they fit another one in the house. Of course, by the time they're telling me it's a little late to be thinking about whether or not to bring a child into the world." She got up from her chair and walked over to turn the kettle on. "Do you want some tea? Or was that just your best attempt at being subtle?"

"No I really want some tea … Well I really want the coffee actually but someone's playing monitor and I'm only allowed one cup per day or else. Besides if I was trying for subtle it obviously didn't work."

That had the three of them laughing for a moment, until the back door opened and Alex's father walked in. It was obvious from the overalls he was wearing and the grease on his hands that he'd been working on the car he was currently restoring. He glanced at Alex and Bobby, then at his wife, who was currently doing an excellent impersonation of the Cheshire Cat. He walked over to the sink and started to wash his hands, trying to figure out what was likely to have put such a look on his wife's face and make Goren look so sheepishly happy at the same time, Alex's face was unreadable but there was obviously something going on.

By the time he'd finished washing his hands, noting the expectant silence behind him, he was pretty sure he knew the answer. Without turning around from the sink, he spoke.

"So, Bobby, something you'd like to tell your future-father-in-law?"

"Well, Sir." At that John turned around, a grin a mile wide spreading over his face. Over the past few months, Bobby had finally gotten used to the idea of calling him 'John', the reversion to 'Sir' was the final piece of the puzzle as far as he was concerned.

"I knew it … when do I get to meet my next grand-baby?" John laughed, giving Bobby no chance to finish speaking he walked towards the younger man and extended a hand in congratulation.

Bobby shook John's hand, befuddled at the speed, and obvious happiness, with which Alex's parents had figured out their 'announcement'.

"Stop looking so confused Bobby. We've been here quite a few times before remember. Besides when Alex visited last week she was more tired than usual, not to mention a little snappish. Take that and the fact there's a full cup of coffee on the table in front of her that she's not drinking, let's just say there aren't many things keep Alex away from a cup of coffee. Molly always gets that look on her face at the idea of another grandchild and you were obviously happy and nervous about something." John chuckled good-naturedly as he leaned down to hug his daughter. "Like I said, when do I get the meet him?"

"Dad, who said anything about a him?" Alex couldn't help grinning with relief at her parents' obvious enthusiasm.

"Okay, him or her?" John had now sat down in the chair Molly had vacated a few moments ago, picking up Alex's abandoned coffee and taking a sip. "Thank god you didn't sugar this." He mumbled.

"I'm figuring sometime April or May. I haven't seen the doctor yet …"

"Well I hope you have plans to see one soon …"

"Tomorrow." Molly answered, placing Alex's tea on the table in front of her and taking a seat beside her husband.

"So does this mean you're moving the wedding up?" Molly addressed Alex, then glanced up at Bobby. "Bobby dear, will you please sit down before I get a crick in my neck."

Bobby sank into the chair beside Alex before replying. "We haven't really had much chance to discuss things. I mean, we only found out yesterday and …" Alex's hand on his arm silenced him.

"And we've had something else on our minds." Alex looked at her parents.

* * *

Sooner or later, given the fact that her father still had plenty of friends working in the department, even if you ignored all the family members, her parents were going to hear about Lil and her claims regarding Bobby. Now was the best time to tell them on their own terms.

"Something serious, obviously." John couldn't help noticing the fact that Bobby was now looking down at the table. It was a posture his own children had often taken during their teenage years when they'd known they were about to get in trouble.

"There … there's a woman involved and a child." Alex stated simply, getting the worst out of the way and holding up a hand before her parents could interrupt. "It's an old girlfriend of Bobby's, from around the time he transferred to Major Case. She got arrested, then started throwing his name around and now she's claiming he's her daughter's father."

"Is it a possibility?" Molly had to ask, knowing how much it must have hurt her own daughter to discover this man she loved so deeply might have a child with someone else.

Bobby finally raised his eyes to look at Alex's parents. "The timing fits, but she was living with another guy as soon as the relationship finished and she always told her family he was the father. Now it turns out my name's on the birth certificate. The guy she was living with left while she was pregnant. It seems she also had an affair with a third man while she was seeing me, at least that's what I've been able to figure out. I haven't really had the opportunity to ask her about it." He took a mouthful of coffee.

"Sounds like a real peach of a girl." John stated, his distaste obvious. "She ever come after you for child support?"

"No and she's never intimated that Sammi was mine until this weekend. That's why we were called away from Emma's party. She was at the 2-7 and refusing to talk to anyone unless I was there. She'd told the detectives investigating the case I was the father of her child and I had a right to be there. Her father called me. Her cousin was the other friend who got married a few months back, around when Alex and I got together. I'm actually more friends with the rest of the family than I am with her these days. No one's ever mentioned the possibility of Sammi being mine, not once. If I'd had the faintest idea she might be well …" Bobby was now obviously rambling, trying to find something to say that would dissipate his anger at this whole mess.

John waved a finger at him. "Bobby, it's okay. You're not the first man to find yourself suddenly faced with the possibility of a child you knew nothing about." He turned his attention to his daughter. "How are you coping?"

"I don't like it much, what woman would? The important thing is that it doesn't change anything between me and Bobby. To be honest, I'm still trying to get my head around it but that's not really the point. We're waiting on DNA results. Sammi's grandparents, they're looking after her at the moment, allowed CSU to take a mouth swab for comparison. They're running Bobby's and the vic's DNA against …"

"Whoa, whoa, back up there a minute. The vic?" John looked from Alex to Bobby and back again.

"Oh, yeah, right … well." Alex stumbled over her words, realising that they hadn't mentioned what Lil's arrest had been connected to. "The arrest was for homicide. The victim was stalking Lil, that's Bobby's ex-girlfriend. Apparently he thought he was Sammi's father and was threatening to file for custody, on top of the stalking. Briscoe and Green caught the case."

"Lennie's a good guy, smart cop. Haven't met Green so I can't say anything about him." John was quietly relieved to hear that Briscoe was handling the investigation. He'd met the man during his own time on the force and knew his reputation for getting to the facts rather than taking things at face value. He turned his attention to Bobby. "I take it that, given the uncertainty regarding the child's paternity, they're looking at you?"

Bobby nodded. "I'm sorry Alex has been dragged into this. Especially now with the baby …" He fell silent as he felt Alex's hand on his thigh.

"It's not your fault, Bobby. You didn't cause any of this." Alex's voice was full of reassurance, there was no recrimination in her tone. "Except this baby, of course." She rubbed her free hand over her stomach.

Bobby smiled softly at her, trying to tamp down his frustration and anger with the situation they had been placed in.

"So they're looking at both of you?" Molly sounded less than pleased at this development.

"It's just procedure, Mom. They'll be looking at everyone connected to the victim, Lil, Sammi, other possible fathers. Me and Bobby already had this discussion. We talked to Briscoe and Green this afternoon but had to cut things short. We're going to finish the interview tomorrow. Deakins knows what's going on. He's known from the start, he was the one called me on Saturday, remember."

"Jimmy know about the baby?" John asked. He couldn't hide his amusement at how his old friend was likely to have reacted to that snippet of news.

"Yeah, there wasn't much chance of hiding it from him after I had to run out of an interview to go throw-up." Alex looked decidedly embarrassed at her admission.

"Ah, the joys of morning sickness. Get used to it, Son. Alex didn't seem to suffer too badly last time but her mother had a terrible time, every time, for the first three months. Worse still the two times it was twins." John received an elbow to the ribs from his blushing wife.

Alex couldn't help grinning now. Her father teased her mother, every time one of the girls in the family became pregnant, about how she'd spent almost two years of her life suffering from morning sickness and how she'd made him suffer in return.

They spent the next few minutes talking about various possible aspects of the pregnancy, then Alex looked at the clock on the wall.

"Well, we've told you everything we needed to tell you." She stood up, taking her cup, along with Bobby's over to the sink and rinsing them. She walked back to the table, placing a hand on each of her parents' shoulders. "I'm glad you're pleased about the baby."

John patted his daughter's hand. "You deserve your happiness, Alex. You've waited long enough to find it."

Bobby looked at Alex, curious as to the meaning of her father's words, her expression gave him no clues. He was unaware of the fact that Alex's marriage to Joe had been hitting serious trouble at the time of his death. Her parents, of course, were well aware of the turmoil their eldest daughter had gone through, her grief at the loss of her husband combined with the guilt she had felt because they had been on such poor terms when he had died. When Joe died only Beth and their parents had known that Alex was seriously considering moving out of her marital home and coming back to stay at her parents' house.

Molly turned in her chair, lightly brushing a hand over Alex's stomach. "You take proper care of the two of you." She couldn't resist turning her head to give Bobby a quick grin. "I know he's going to spend the entire time worrying. He was bad enough when you were carrying Nathan."

Bobby's cheeks coloured at Molly's comment. He hadn't realised that his concern for Alex, who had then been only his partner and friend, had been so obvious during her pregnancy the previous year.

John smiled indulgently at his future son-in-law. "Stop looking so embarrassed, Bobby. We were actually pretty glad you were so concerned about her and the baby. It was good to know she was working with someone who wouldn't let her walk all over them when they felt she was doing too much. We were sure she wouldn't let Jimmy tell her to slow down, at least there was a slim chance she might have listened to you."

"You honestly think she'd listen to me if I told her not to do something?" Bobby's tone was incredulous.

"She listens to you more than she does the rest of us." John laughed, then winced as Alex tightened her grip on his shoulder and Molly once more dug him in the ribs with her elbow. "Hey, that hurt."

"I think it's time we were going." Alex said, pointedly.

Molly stood up and hugged her daughter, kissing her cheek before she let her go. "Are we allowed to tell the rest of the family?"

"Yeah, that's fine, Mom." Alex returned her mother's hug and kiss. Then she bent and dropped a kiss on her father's cheek. "We'll probably see you next weekend."

"Okay, kiddo." He smiled at Bobby again. "I know I'm preaching to the converted here, but you take care of my little girl and my grand-baby. Otherwise I may have to send her mother after you."

After a few more minutes of good-natured teasing and farewells, Alex and Bobby finally managed to 'escape' from her parents. They headed back to his apartment to get changed for Tina's birthday party.

* * *

**30 August 2004 – Sal's Restaurant, Brooklyn, New York**

By the time Alex and Bobby arrived at Tina's party it was in full swing. The restaurant was full of Sal and Tina's large, and very noisy, extended family and a good many friends on top.

Sal was guiding is beaming wife around the dance floor. The sight of the older couple, Sal, so tall and looking very distinguished in his best suit, with his arms around his tiny wife, wearing a beautiful dark blue velvet gown, gripped Alex with a strange sense of longing. She couldn't help but wonder if she and Bobby would be lucky enough to still be so in love at their age.

As if he could read her mind Bobby leaned down. "Think you'll still be able to put up with me in twenty or thirty years' time, Eames?" He whispered in her ear before straightening up.

"Just try and get rid of me, Goren." She countered, grinning up at him.

"Not gonna happen, Eames, definitely not gonna happen." He brushed his fingers tenderly across her cheek.

"Alexandra, Robert, you're late." Tina's voice teased, cutting through the noise around them, as she and Sal made their way through the crowd to greet their late arriving guests.

"Sorry, Aunt Tina." He leaned down once more to hug the birthday girl, then extended his hand to his 'uncle'. "Hi, Uncle Sal."

"Evening, Bobby." Sal took Bobby's hand, shaking it enthusiastically. The older man then turned and wrapped his arms around Alex, only just released from his wife's hug, literally sweeping her off her feet. "And how is my favourite adopted niece?"

"I'm fine, thank you, Sal. I'd be even better if you'd put me down." Alex returned Sal's hug, kissing him on the cheek as he put her back on the floor.

"Good, good. I presume you've already heard our good news." Sal smiled proudly. It was a little over a week since they'd found out that he and Tina were to become grandparents for the first time.

"Yep, we heard. Seems like Carrie and Kev started a trend." Bobby smiled back at Sal, wrapping his arm around Alex as he spoke.

Tina and Sal looked at each other, then looked more closely at Bobby and Alex. Bobby realised what he'd inadvertently revealed and glanced at Alex, who was looking suddenly, and very uncharacteristically, shy.

"Do we detect more good news?" Tina asked gently, her eyes sparkling with delight.

Alex looked up at Bobby and nodded. Bobby's eyes narrowed for a moment, asking her silently if she really wanted to tell so many their friends right now. Her eyes widened in response, a small smile curving her lips, conveying to him that she was ready for this. He dragged his eyes away from hers with difficulty, only to find himself faced with the expectant gazes of his 'aunt' and 'uncle'.

"We … we just found out this weekend. Alex is pregnant."

"Mia Bambina, congratulations." Tina hugged Alex again and started bombarding her with questions. Was she alright, was there any morning sickness or strange cravings, did she want to go and sit down? Alex responded as best she could the to the older woman's rapid-fire questions, hugging her back and smiling broadly.

Bobby, meanwhile, found himself engulfed in Sal's hug. "About time you got around to having a family, son. You couldn't have chosen a better woman. The best things come in small packages and she's nearly as beautiful as my Tina." Sal let go of Bobby and winked at him, grinning wide as he did so.

"Tha … thanks, Uncle Sal."

"Come on, kids, you have to join the party. Alex, you go sit with Lainie. I'll make sure Michael keeps your table well supplied with good plain food, none of the fancy stuff that might upset the babies, eh?" Sal's daughter-in-law was being plagued by morning sickness at all hours of the day and night and could only manage to keep down the blandest of foods.

"Bobby, I think an announcement is in order." Sal tried to steer the younger man towards the small stage area behind the dance floor. Bobby stood his ground, refusing to be dragged towards the dance floor by Sal.

"No, Uncle Sal, really. Look Aunt Tina can tell Aunt Annie, who will no doubt be happy to help spread the news around the room. I'll go with Alex and tell Lainie and Val our news. Okay?"

"There are times, Robert, when you're simply no fun." Sal said, shrugging his agreement to Bobby's suggestion. "Go, go, catch up with the girls." Tina was already guiding Alex through the crowded restaurant to the table where Lainie was sitting, being kept company any her obviously pregnant sister-in-law, Carrie.

"I'll see ya later, Uncle Sal." Bobby nodded to the older man and set off through the crowd.

Sal watched him, shaking his head at the way Bobby was always so respectful. Most of his actual nieces and nephews had long since dropped the 'uncle' when addressing him, many as soon as they'd left high school, but Bobby Goren continued to nearly always address himself, Tina and Annie using the titles 'uncle' and 'aunt'. Sal was often moved by the younger man's respect for him and the women who had tried to help Bobby when his mother's illness had been too much for him to deal with alone. He thought of Bobby as another son, along with his own two boys and their friend, Chris Hughes, whose freewheeling parents has more or less abandoned him when he turned eighteen.

* * *

Bobby and Alex sat chatting with Lainie, Val, Carrie, Paul, Maria, Lewis and Chris. Congratulations had been shared, not only regarding the babies but also for Lewis, on picking up a deal with a local car auction which was going to provide him with classic vehicles in need of restoration at an agreed price which would allow him to build up his business more on the sales side, and for Chris, who had landed a very lucrative new government contract.

None of the friends were taking much notice of the comings and goings of the other guests around them. Then a child's voice cried out about the general noise of the party. Bobby's head whipped around as he recognised the child's voice.

"Mommy, you're here." Sammi Giovaissi broke away from her grandmother and rushed through the crowds of adults and older children around her, heading for the door where her mother had just walked in.

* * *

A/N: Oh boy … now you'll have to wait and see what happens next, while I go and write not only the next chapter of this story, but some more of my other story as well. I know … my mean streak is showing again. LOL. Thanks for continuing to put up with me.


	12. Chapter 12

Disclaimer: No characters related to Law & Order or Law & Order: Criminal Intent are mine.

A/N: Here's what you've been waiting for - at least the first part of what you've been waiting for - Lil is so getting put in her place.

* * *

**30 August 2004 – Sal's Restaurant, Brooklyn, New York**

Liliana Giovaissi stood just inside her uncle's restaurant looking every inch the young, successful, beautiful, Italian-American woman she like to think of herself as being. She had been released on bail late that afternoon and, rather than going straight to her parents' house to pick up her daughter, she had gone home and picked out her outfit to the party she knew the majority of her family would be attending that evening. She was fairly confident that Bobby Goren would not miss her aunt's birthday celebration and she wanted to be sure and make an impression on him, believing he would be there without his partner. Afterall, this was a family event and she could think of no good reason for the other woman to be tagging along.

As she removed her jacket, handing it to the waitress standing by the coat rack, her eyes scanned the room looking for Bobby. She still wasn't sure why he'd stormed out of the police station like that the other day, rather than staying and helping her as she'd expected him to. The detectives who had questioned her had refused to be drawn into answering her questions about Bobby's odd behaviour. They'd simply reiterated that if Detective Goren did not wish to assist her that was hardly their problem and continued to bombard her with questions of their own.

Her eyes roamed the room, taking an unconscious inventory of who was present. She spotted her father speaking to one of her brothers and decided that, if Bobby wasn't here tonight, she would ask him if he had heard from the other man at all since Saturday. At least her father might have some explanation for Bobby's refusal to help her. She hadn't taken the opportunity to telephone her parents following her release, she'd been far too busy getting ready for the party to waste time calling people she would be seeing in only a few hours anyway.

"Mommy, you're here." Sammi's ecstatic exclamation cut through the noise of the restaurant, drawing Lil's eyes to her as she wove her way through the crowd to reach her mother, her grandmother following in her wake.

"Sammi, isn't it little late for you to be out?" Lil asked, a little sharply, as her daughter came to a halt in front of her.

Lil shot a less than amused glance at her own mother. Why hadn't her mother arranged for Sammi to have a sitter for the evening, rather than dragging the child along to the party with them? There must be someone in the neighbourhood who usually looked after Sammi for her parents if they needed to go somewhere during the week and couldn't take her with them, surely?

Sammi's lip quivered at her mother's rebuke, her deep brown eyes suddenly bright with tears, rather than the excitement that had filled them a moment before. Sammi and Lil hadn't spoken to each other since Friday, before Lil had gone out on her date, and they hadn't seen each other since Lil had dropped Sammi off at her grandparents' house the previous Monday morning. Whilst Sammi was used to her mother being absent from her life during the her 'school time' she looked forward to their 'fun time' together on weekends and had been seriously upset when her Nana had told her she would have to spend the entire two days of the weekend with her and Poppy rather than going back to her mother's apartment as usual.

Lil remained standing straight, not bending to greet Sammi, instead looking over her head, waiting for an explanation from Leah. Leah on the other hand was in no mood to tolerate her daughter's lack of empathy when it came to Sammi. She swept her granddaughter up into her arms, comforting the child with a hug and whispers of Italian that Lil couldn't make out.

"Really, Mother, Sammi is obviously tired and overexcited. What on earth possessed you to bring her out on a school night? And I thought I told you I don't want her speaking Italian." Lil finally moved to make some sort of physical contact with her child. She reached out one carefully manicured hand and placed it on Sammi's back, only to feel the child flinch away from her.

"Sammi was terrified of us leaving her, Lil." There was no apology in Leah's tone, only her own rebuke for the younger woman. She would never be able to understand how she had managed to raise such a daughter as this one. "She didn't understand why you never came to bring her this weekend and she was afraid if she stayed with anyone but me and Nicky we might not come back for her either. You expect your father to miss his sister's sixty-fifth birthday because you cannot take responsibility for your own child?"

Sammi was now sobbing almost silently into her grandmother's shoulder. Her small body snaking as she was overwhelmed with a barrage of emotions too great for her young mind to process. She loved her Mommy but she loved Nana and Poppy too and she didn't like it when they fought. She still didn't understand why Mommy hadn't come home to take her to the apartment on Saturday, like she'd promised. Now Mommy was mad at her and at Nana because she wouldn't stay home with Mrs Thompson like she usually did if Nana and Poppy went out on a nighttime. She couldn't help it, she loved Mrs Thompson, really she did, the lady was fun and told her wonderful stories and let her have milk and cookies for supper, but Mrs Thompson wasn't Nana, and Nana and Poppy might not come back like they promised, the same Mommy hadn't come like she'd promised. And Sammi just couldn't think anymore because her heart ached and her head hurt with everything that was trying to figure itself out. She was tired and Mommy was angry and it was too much to deal with.

* * *

Maria happened to be the only one at their table with a clear view of the door when Lil put in her appearance. Seeing Lil arrive only seconds before Sammi had cried out in excitement, Maria had decided to try and head her cousin 'off at the pass'. Unfortunately by the time she'd arrived, little Sammi, who regularly visited the restaurant when her Nana came to visit Aunt Tina, was already crying into Leah's shoulder. Alex and Bobby would have to deal with Lil, Maria had more the pressing matter of an overwrought child to deal with.

Gentle hands lifted Sammi from her grandmother's arms and a familiar voice whispered to her in Italian.

"Come, Little One, you come with Aunt Maria and we'll find you somewhere nice and quiet to rest. You don't need to worry, Nana and Poppy, they're not going anywhere, you're staying right here at Aunt Tina's. We'll just find a quiet place for you to take a nap and they'll take you home in a little while."

Maria glared at her cousin as she took Sammi from Leah's arms. She had heard Lil's comment to Aunt Leah about not wanting Sammi speaking Italian. How stupid could one woman be? Sammi already spoke fluent Italian, as did most of the family's grandchildren. Maria could not resist the opportunity of aggravating her least favourite of all her cousins and continued to speech comfortingly to Sammi, in Italian. Once the child was safely settled in her arms, Maria took a step towards Lil. Making sure Sammi's ears where covered, Maria whispered one word of Italian to the child's mother, confident that even if Lil had forgotten most of the language she had used at home as a child this was one of those words she would remember.

"Puttanesca." 'Whore/Harlot/Tramp'; it could translate into any of those in English.

Bobby and Alex had filled their friends in regarding Lil's sudden claim that Bobby was Sammi's father. Of course, the family had already heard about her being arrested in connection with an ex-lover's murder. The fact that Lil seemed to have cheated not only on Bobby but on Jeff, who until now she had always maintained was Sammi's father, had not come as a great shock to Maria. The fact that she had, apparently, been not two-timing but three-timing; seeing Bobby, Jeff and this Michael, who had been murdered, all at the same time; had managed to lower Maria's opinion of the woman even further, something she would not have believed possible until tonight.

As Maria walked away from Lil and Leah with Sammi in her arms a thought darted across her mind. '_I wonder what she's gonna think when Sammi comes out with something in French one of these days?_'. Annie Kazinski was very fond of little Sammi and had taken to teaching the child snippets of French, a word here and there, names of animals and objects to begin with, then building up to whole sentences. The child was a quick study and was already becoming quite fluent. Aunt Annie was very proud of her little student and Sammi was very fond Aunt Annie in return. Maria allowed herself a small chuckle at the thought of her cousin's reaction when she found out her daughter spoke three languages, to Lil's own one. Maria smiled to herself at the thought, continuing to whisper softly to Sammi in Italian and English, as she carried the child to Sal's office and the comfortable couch it contained.

* * *

Lil stood there, shocked at her cousin Maria's intervention. How dare she take her child like that without asking her permission first? How dare she call her such a name, what possible grounds could she have for saying such a thing? Realisation dawned in Lil's mind, as she ignored whatever it was her mother was now trying to say to her. She waved a hand in front of her mother, signalling for her to be quiet and listen.

"Is Bobby here?" Lil asked urgently.

"Bobby? Lil don't you care about Sammi?" Leah could not believe her own ears.

"Of course I care about Sammi. Bobby Goren. Is he here yet? I need to speak to him." Lil couldn't understand why her mother seemed so shocked at being asked such a simple question. Sammi would be fine, she always was.

Leah felt as if her heart were breaking. She loved her daughter but had never been able to understand how she could be so nonchalant about Sammi. It was almost as if Lil viewed Sammi as a plaything, something to fill a few spare hours when she could spare the time. The responsibilities of their little granddaughter's day-to-day life always seemed to fall to Leah and Nicky, rather than Lil. At first, just after Sammi was born, Leah had blamed Lil's attitude on everything from post-partum depression to the fact that Jeff had left her during the pregnancy. After so long the excuses began to ring hollow, even to Leah's own ears. She was beginning to fear that Lil would never truly love her own daughter. Tonight was just another glaring example of how poorly Lil understood her role as a mother.

"I know who you mean Lil." Leah snapped at her daughter, her seemingly infinite patience coming close to its end. "I think he's somewhere at the back of the restaurant. Your cousin Val's at the same table, they should be easy enough to find."

With that Leah, turned from her daughter and went to check on Maria and Sammi.

* * *

Leah was right, it was easy to find Bobby. He was seated at a table with her Aunt Tina's boys, Val's wife and some other people she recognised as having been involved in the wedding four months ago but she really couldn't be bother to try and remember their names. The one other person at the table she could easily identify was Bobby's partner, Eames!

'_What the hell? Does Tinkerbell ever let go of the leash she has him on?_'

Lil was still blissfully unaware of the fact that Bobby and Alex were a couple, and an engaged couple at that. She never listened to family gossip, so her mother had long since stopped trying to get her to show an interest in family events. Other than turning up for family weddings, christening and funerals, all of which gave her an excuse to dress herself and Sammi up, Lil seemed not to care about the goings on in her family one way or another. Had it not been for the fact it was only four months since the wedding she probably wouldn't have recognised Lainie if she passed her on the street. Especially as Lil made a habit of trying to forget women she considered to be more attractive than herself.

Lil had gone to the ladies' room before going to look for Bobby, checking her hair and make-up to ensure she looked her best. She was now doubly pleased that she had taken the time to do so. Val's wife, Lil couldn't recall her name, was strikingly beautiful even though her complexion was paler than Lil remembered it being at wedding. The redhead at the table, Lil taking a second look at her thought she might have been the other bride at the wedding, glowed with the inner-radiance some women are blessed with during pregnancy, her well-rounded stomach making her condition evident. Eames was leaning against Bobby, talking quietly to him. She was wearing a stunning, spaghetti-strapped dark blue dress, which suited her complexion perfectly.

All eyes turned to look at Lil as she came to a halt beside their table. She certainly did look striking, the red silk of her gown clung to her curves and left little doubt as to the fact that Lil spent at least one evening a week in the gym. The pose she struck caused one of the slits, that ran from the hem of her skirt, which just below her knee, to halfway up her hip, to fall open revealing almost the entire length of one shapely thigh. The black, peep-toe heels she wore made her already long legs seem to go on forever. Her nails, both finger and toe, were perfectly polished in a deep red to match her dress. Her hair fell in soft waves to her shoulders, accentuating her long, narrow neck. Her make-up was artful and flawless, complimenting her natural colouring to perfection. The matching jewellery glittering at her ears, throat and wrists appeared, to the untrained eye, to be diamonds.

Alex, Lainie and Carrie swept their eyes over Lil then exchanged a glance, which clearly showed that Lil had failed to make the impression she wished to on the women around the table. They were supposed to feel intimidated by her presence. Instead Carrie had covered her mouth, apparently attempting to stifle a chuckle. Lainie had done little more than smile and give an almost imperceptible shake of her head, as if she pitied Lil for some reason. Alex's face bore an openly sardonic smirk and, worse yet in Lil's view, the tiny bottle blond continued to lean against Bobby as if she had every right to do so, when she shouldn't even be there.

The reactions of the men at the table confounded Lil even further. She didn't expect either of her male cousins to respond to her with sexual interest but they could at least look as though they appreciated the effort she'd made over her appearance. Instead Paul and Val gave each other a look of exasperation. The other two men, whose names she couldn't remember as they weren't attractive enough to warrant her attention at the wedding, nudged each other, smirking in amusement. Bobby's eyes raked over her, not with the desire she had anticipated but with barely concealed disgust.

"Bobby, may I have a word with you? In private." Lil emphasised the last two words. Her tone clearly implying her intention to do more than talk.

"I don't think that would be a good idea Lil. We're both part of an on-going investigation and I really don't have anything I want to say to you right at the moment." Bobby then dropped his head down beside his partner's and whispered something to her, turning her sardonic smirk into a genuine smile.

Maria was returning to the table to rejoin her friends, Leah having taken over care of Sammi. She's almost arrived when Lil opened her mouth and spoke again.

"Oh, for heaven's sake, Tinkerbell. Stop simpering all over him! You're just his partner, it's not as if there'll ever be anything more between the two of you." Lil's tone was ringing, cutting through the conversation at the surrounding tables. Her hands had come to her hips, further drawing attention to her trim waist, the lift of her shoulders causing her breasts to be further emphasised, not that they needed to be given the low cut of the neckline she had chosen for the evening.

Bobby made a move as if to stand but Alex's hand on his thigh halted his movement. He looked at his fiancée, seeing nothing but cold fury in her eyes. He knew better than to cross Alex when she got that look.

"You know what, Lily, I don't think I've ever been accused of simpering over a man before. Obviously you'd have more experience that me, so you'd know the signs. Thanks for the heads up, I'll try and reign that tendency in from now on." She sat up straight in her chair, moving her body away from the comforting heat of her lover. Her voice was perfectly calm, causing every man at the table to be thankful he wasn't her target and every woman at the table, plus Maria who was still slightly behind Lil, to wonder just how far Alex was going to take this.

"As to your presumptions regarding my _partner_," Alex emphasised the word carefully, "and myself, well I think you need to do a little reassessment there, chica."

Alex with great precision raised her left hand to join her right above the table, linking her fingers together and displaying the ring she rarely wore. A perfect emerald-cut sapphire, almost exactly the colour of the dress she now wore, glinted between two baguette-cut diamonds. It wasn't ostentatious but, it did suit her, the size of the gems and setting just right on her delicate finger.

Maria walked around Lil, reclaiming her seat between Paul and Lewis. She was having a hard time not laughing at Lil's obvious discomfort. Could her cousin really be so oblivious to the family goings-on that she hadn't heard about Bobby's engagement? It had been the subject of much family gossip for a good month after the news had hit the grapevine.

Much to everyone's surprise, Lil let out a peal of laughter, throwing her head back in the process.

Lainie decided she'd take the bait. Afterall, unlike Lil, she knew what Alex was capable of.

"Okay, Lil, what do you find so amusing?" Her distaste for her husband's cousin was not disguised in her voice. She'd never much cared for Lil and had felt sorry for Sammi ever since the child was born.

"Am I supposed to believe that any woman would give up her freedom for a tiny trinket like that. I mean, have you seen the size of his apartment? He must be able to afford something better than that."

"You know what, Lainie." Carrie addressed her sister-in-law, a devilish glint in her eye. "I don't think Bobby could really afford anything bigger than that. Not with the cost of the wedding and honeymoon coming up, refurbishing the apartment and, of course, the cost of the baby to think of."

"And what has your child got to do with Bobby?" Lil now zeroed in on Carrie.

"My child? Who said anything about my child? My husband is perfectly capable of providing for his own family thank you, unlike the loser you managed to chase off before you'd even given birth. I've been around this family a long time, Liliana. Just because you don't listen to what's going on, doesn't mean nobody says anything about you. We all know about Jeff, the wonder-doctor in waiting, who couldn't get away fast enough and then refused to pay child support." Carrie smiled sweetly. "I'm talking about the cost for Alex and Bobby, getting things ready for when Goren Junior puts in an appearance next year."

"Yes, it does take a lot of money, setting up a _proper_ home for a little one." Lainie emphasised the word 'proper', having often heard Leah complain about the fact that Lil's apartment was barely safe for Sammi to live in. "Val can hardly believe the prices in the baby stores."

Lil paled slightly at the mention of Jeff. "That … that wasn't my fault."

"Oh, do tell, Lil. What, exactly wasn't your fault?" Lil failed to notice the glaring insincerity in Maria's words.

"Jeff leaving. It wasn't my fault. He took part in some clinical trial. Something to do with male fertility testing. That was when he found out he couldn't be the father. He couldn't have children. He left because he realised I must have lied to him and I couldn't very well claim child support from him, could I? Not under those circumstances!" Lil spoke firmly, as if this information somehow justified her behaviour.

"So you decided Bobby was the next best bet for being the dad?" Alex's voice was like ice, as she stared in disbelief at Lil.

"I wasn't about to tell my parents I'd cheated on everyone's precious Bobby. If I admitted Jeff couldn't be the father I'd have to explain why I wasn't sure to begin with." Lil still held her head high, as though her behaviour was nothing to be ashamed of.

"Puttanesca!" Maria snarled the word loudly this time, for all at not only their table but those surrounding them to hear. "How could any woman be certain of who her child's father is when she can't do something as simple as keep her knees together for a few weeks while her man's away working?"

Lil looked down her nose at the four women seated around the table. She decided to start with what she perceived to the be easy target. She remembered now that the redhead's husband was in the military, surely she must have strayed at some point.

"Can your friend there honestly claim the brat she's carrying is her husband's. He's stationed overseas isn't he? Didn't Bobby make some announcement at the wedding that she was already pregnant? How'd she manage that?" Lil looked smug as she finished speaking.

"Actually, my husband was extremely pleased about the results of my little holiday in Turkey a month before we got married. That's not very far from Iraq where he's stationed. Plenty of time for him to come visit me on a forty-eight hour pass. We had a wonderful time." Carrie actually winked, knowingly, at Lil; making it clear exactly how she and Kevin had spent their 'wonderful time'.

Carrie ran a hand proudly over her extended stomach, then halted her movement. She grabbed Paul's hand, as he was sitting to the side where she'd felt the kick, and placed it on her stomach.

"Hey, whad'ya know? Kid kicks like his dad. Get him signed up for college football as soon as he's outta there!" Kevin had always been an excellent football player, despite his lack of bulk. Paul laughed as Lewis leapt from his chair, quickly coming round to behind Carrie and looking down at her, as if asking permission.

"Go ahead, Uncle Lewis." Carrie smiled indulgently at her brother-in-law.

Lewis placed a trembling hand where Paul's had rested just a second earlier. Tears welled in his eyes as he felt a powerful thump against his fingers. He remained standing behind Carrie, one hand on her stomach, the other on her shoulder, beaming with pride.

"Kev is gonna be so jealous when you tell him about that." Bobby grinned down the table at Carrie.

"He'll get over it when he holds his son for the first time." Carrie grinned back, her voice wistful.

"Well he should get home on leave in time to be able to feel his niece or nephew going a few rounds, anyway!" Lainie laughed, patting her stomach.

"And you, Miss Beautiful Blond Ex-Model." Lil may have been lousy with names but details such as a short-lived modelling career stuck in the mind. "Don't tell me you're happy to let my gorilla of a cousin paw at you? I've seen the kinds of men women like you attract. Scarred faces aren't usually on the requirement list. I'd bet a month's salary you little 'bundle of joy' comes out looking like some pretty-boy model rather than Val."

Lainie turned in her seat, tenderly kissing her husband's scarred cheek, then kissing him full on the mouth with obvious passion.

"Do you ever look beyond the obvious, Lil?" Lainie looked at her husband's cousin with obvious incredulity. "I have loved Val for a very long time and it took me a long time to finally convince him that we could be together. I have never allowed any man to paw at me, nor would I ever allow any man to treat me in an animal fashion. I respect myself too much for that." She glanced around the table, her angelic face set in a calm smile.

Lewis felt his insides shiver, if Alex sounding calm was a ticking time bomb, that smile on his baby sister's face was a nuclear warhead awaiting detonation.

"I respected myself enough to wait until I managed to catch the one man I truly wanted. I didn't waste my time fooling around with men who simply couldn't begin to measure up to the man I was in love with. I would certainly never have lowered myself to the level where I would be willing to pass myself around like the lunch selection."

Lainie delivered each barb with precision, watching Lil's face where muscles twitched along the brunette's jaw, jealousy at the younger woman's obvious happiness and self-confidence becoming evident in her eyes. Lainie's final comment actually managed to bring a blush of embarrassment to Lil's cheeks.

Not giving Lil chance to speak this time, Maria jumped in as Lainie fell silent.

"Actually I'm not sure the lunch platter is as popular as Lil has been over the years, Lainie." Maria's voice carried unmistakable loathing for the blushing woman standing before them. "I mean, she really should have learnt her lesson back in High School. I've heard the story, Lil. How you ended up going to the Senior Prom stag, because you'd spent the entire semester playing half a dozen guys off of each other and when they found out what you'd been up to every last one of them dumped you. Strange you didn't figure out then that you're better off sticking to a single flavour at a time."

"How long did you say that undercover stint was, Bobby?" Carrie rejoined the fray. She didn't wait for an answer. "A few weeks! The longest Kevin has been overseas is a year. Nothing but letters and the occasional phone call to remind me of him. Of course, I had something far more important to remind me of him. The memory of how it feels to be truly loved by a man who respects me, who treats me as an equal, who honestly wants to know what it is I'm thinking and why. That kind of love is something so far beyond the need for mere physical release." Pity, sharp and stinging, dripped from Carrie's voice.

As Carrie fell silent, Lil made a 'last gasp' attempt to salvage the situation she had placed herself in. Her dark brown eyes locked on to the hazel orbs of the woman who, in her personal view of the world, had stolen her man.

"You, Tinkerbell, you work in a building where the majority of the people you work with are men. You've managed to convince Bobby you're carrying his child, but really you could have been playing around with any number of the men you work with." Her faced was flushed with embarrassment but she somehow managed to keep her voice level as she lashed out at the woman she had managed to convince herself was the author of her own personal misery.

"Obviously the message isn't getting through. Not every woman is tarred with the same brush you are, Lil. Some of us have this little thing called self-control, it kinda goes hand in hand with self-respect. You screwed up your own life. Not content with that, you're screwing up your daughter's. How do you think that child is going to feel when she finds out her own mother had no idea who her father was? Not because of some accident of fate but because her mother was incapable of controlling her own appetites. The family got told Jeff, the court house got told Bobby, Michael obviously got the idea from somewhere that he was in with a fighting chance. And you … you couldn't even be bothered to find out the truth."

Alex's eyes froze Lil's tongue in her mouth.

"Then, when you find yourself in trouble, you decide to try and screw up Bobby's life, again. Don't think I haven't heard about how you tried to pressure him into moving to Manhattan when he changed squads. An undercover Narcotics Officer wasn't good enough for you to show off at gallery openings and premieres was he. It didn't matter that he looked the part, nevermind that he's undoubtedly forgotten more about art than you've ever been able to retain in that vacuous, vain little brain of yours. Of course, that changed when he transferred to Major Case didn't it? It all changed. You saw the possibility of meeting high profile people, people a lowly buyer like you would never stand a chance of getting to meet without an inside track. Bobby wasn't interested in your 'track' was he? He values his friends, his family, above all else because he knows how to value the people he cares about."

Alex turned her eyes from Lil's for a moment, meeting Bobby's eyes and conveying to him the love and pride she felt for him. Then she returned her attention to Lil.

"Be warned, Lil, you do not want to continue trying to get between me and Bobby. No one has ever managed it. You failed once and that was long before he even knew he loved me or that I loved him back. I will, always, support Bobby in any decision he makes. I do not consider you a fit mother for any child, least of all my stepchild. Did you ever meet Bobby's friend Steve? He's a children's rights attorney, specialises in difficult custody cases. Depending on the DNA results we get this week, we shall either be retaining his services ourselves or giving his details to your parents. Sammi deserves a decent life, with people who are willing to give her the time, love and attention every child should have. Those seem to be things you are incapable of giving to her."

Bobby pulled Alex's face around to his, kissing her hungrily. As they separated he rested his forehead against hers and spoke softly, just loud enough for Lil and the friends sitting around the table to hear him.

"I love you, Alex. I don't want to wait until November. … no, I can't wait until November to make you my wife. All the formalities are already handled. How soon are you willing to officially become Mrs Goren?" There was no mistaking the love in his voice, the sincerity of his words.

Alex stared at him, momentarily speechless.

* * *

A/N: I promise not to keep you waiting long for Alex's reply ;o)


	13. Chapter 13

Disclaimer: No characters related to CSI:NY, Law & Order or Law & Order: Criminal Intent are mine.

A/N: Alex's answer and DNA tests all in one chapter – Yippee ;o)

* * *

**30 August 2004 – Sal's Restaurant, Brooklyn, New York**

"Alex?" Bobby repeated her name, his voice coming out as a hoarse whisper.

Alex's heart was screaming at her to say right now, as soon as humanly possible; whilst her head was cautioning her it would be best to wait until the situation with Sammi and Lil was resolved. She closed her eyes, trying to make a decision. She felt the tips of Bobby's fingers brush tenderly against her cheek.

"Sweetheart?" How could a single word convey so much desperation?

Alex snapped her eyes open, looking deeply into Bobby's. He was hiding nothing from her at this moment. She could see all his love for her, his unquenchable desire for her, his respect for her as a person, his profound need for her; it seemed a million emotions swirled through his gorgeous brown eyes. There was no doubt now in Alex's mind, she knew her answer.

"As soon as we can arrange it." Her response came out so quietly that only Bobby could hear her.

Not that anyone at the table was in any doubt that Alex had agreed to move the wedding forward. It was obvious from the way Bobby grabbed his fiancée out of her chair, pulling her into his lap and kissing her as though they were the only two people in the room.

* * *

**31 August 2004 – Major Case Squad, One Police Plaza, New York**

Alex Eames sat at her desk, chewing nervously on the end of a biro. Bobby was currently in Deakins' office, requesting the day off on Friday for both of them. They were now getting married in under a week. With the hormones rushing through her system she was torn between laughing and crying at the thought. Her hand rubbed over her stomach. At least she would officially be Mrs Goren before Goren Junior started to show, she sighed softly to herself. She had insisted on them having a reasonable period to organise the wedding but now, with the baby on the way and the prospect of being four months pregnant by the time they'd originally planned to get married, part of her was actually quite pleased about the change in plans. Alex shook her head ruefully, she hadn't realised she could be so old-fashioned.

Things had gone well at the doctor's office that morning. Everything was fine with both her and the baby. The doctor had told them the baby would be putting in an appearance around May 10th. Bobby had, unsurprisingly, asked an extensive list of questions; everything from how best to deal with her morning sickness (even though she'd pointed out to Bobby that she knew how to deal with it) to the possible complications for both her and the baby. The doctor had been very understanding, patiently dealing with Bobby's questions and reassuring him, given that Alex's previous pregnancy had gone so well and Nathan's birth having been natural and complication free, that the risks to mother and baby this time round were minimal. Now they just had to wait until October for the ultrasound scan. Bobby, being Bobby, was already impatient for the opportunity to see the baby.

"Excuse me, Alex, your partner around anywhere?" Danny Messer, from the NYPD Crime Lab, was standing at the side of Alex's desk.

Alex was jolted from her thoughts by the simple question, feeling a little foolish at being caught daydreaming in the squad room.

"Oh, hi Danny. He's in with the captain at the moment. Those the DNA results he's waiting on?" Alex pointed at the large envelope in Danny's hand.

"Yeah, Mack said to give them to Goren directly. Don't leave 'em lying around on his desk, don't risk anyone else seein' 'em. A duplicate set have been couriered over to the 2-7 for Briscoe and Green. Mack seems to have a real panic on over a couple of DNA comparisons. He had me rush them through the system, no names, code numbers only on all three samples. He filled the names in on the report himself." Danny grinned at Alex. "I didn't know you guys were doubling up on cases with Homicide these days. Can't pick up enough cases of your own?"

'_Nice try, Messer, but no cigar._' Alex knew Danny's curiosity must be peaked by Mack's secrecy regarding the identity of the contributors for the comparisons but she wasn't about to fill him in on the details. The young man could certainly be charming when he wanted to be but Alex was used to dealing with charming men.

"You could just leave them with me, Danny." Alex offered.

"And have to go back and have Mack ask me if I'd actually handed them to Goren. No thanks, Alex." Danny seated himself in Bobby's chair, making himself comfortable.

He sat chatting with Alex for a while, then he nearly jumped out of his skin as someone spoke behind him without warning.

"You planning on changing jobs Messer, or can I have my desk back now?"

'_Shit, how does he do that?_' Danny thought as he stood up. He was always surprised that a man as big as Bobby Goren could move so quietly.

"Hi, Detective Goren. Mack asked me to bring these down for ya." Danny held out the envelope, surprised to see a look of apprehension settle on Goren's face.

"Thanks, Messer." Goren took the envelope from the younger man. "Tell Mack I appreciate it."

"You're not gonna tell me what this is about are ya?" Danny looked from Goren to Eames and back again.

"No." The partners replied at the same time.

Danny couldn't contain his chuckle, he hadn't expected any other answer. "Well, I guess I'll be getting back to the lab then."

"See ya, Danny." Alex called after the departing forensics expert.

Bobby simply sat in his chair, silently staring at the envelope in his hands.

* * *

"Bobby, you've gotta open it sometime. It's not gonna bite ya, whatever the results are." She managed to keep her tone teasing, despite the butterflies in her stomach.

Goren had been sitting, staring at the results envelope for nearly half an hour and the suspense was killing Eames.

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, Eames." He smiled at her sadly.

Alex stood up and walked round their desks. She gently gripped his arm, tugging lightly. His body responded to her automatically and, without even thinking about it he stood, allowing her to guide him to the conference room they regularly used. She got him settled in one of the chairs, envelope on the table in front of him.

"Wait here. You're gonna need coffee, either way." Alex turned and left the room.

Moments later she returned and placed a cup of coffee next to the envelope and a cup of herbal tea on the table beside Bobby. She turned back, closing the door and shutting the blinds to give them privacy. She sat down in the chair next to his, clasping the cup of herbal tea between her hands to try and stop the shaking in them.

"You're sure about doing this here?" Bobby asked, not turning to look at her.

"Would you rather we told Deakins the results or have Homicide report them to him officially?"

He picked up the envelope, taking his knife out of his pocket he slit the envelope carefully along the sealed edge. He continued to stare at the envelope, making no move to take out the sheets of paper it contained.

"Eames, I … I can't do this." He turned towards her, offering the envelope to her, his own hands shaking.

"You're sure you want me to read them?" She took the envelope from his hand.

He nodded, his eyes locked on her face, his expression one of mute pleading.

He wasn't even sure which way he wanted the results to turn out, there hadn't really been time for him to sort through his emotional response to Lil's assertion regarding her daughter's paternity. His ever-active mind started to turn the possibilities over once more. If Sammi wasn't his child then the possible complications this could cause in his relationship with Alex would simply not exist. On the other hand Sammi deserved to have at least one biological parent who gave a damn about her and Lil didn't seem to. With Jeff out of the equation and Michael dead, if he wasn't her father the child would continue to be raised mostly by her grandparents, who obviously loved her dearly but were definitely not getting any younger. That was until her indifferent mother chose to change the arrangements currently in place or Nicky and Leah could no longer cope with the strain of raising such an active child. No one would be in a position to stop Lil from doing whatever she liked with Sammi, if she chose she could cut the child off from her family entirely. The idea of Sammi, who was obviously a bright and intelligent child, being in the sole care of her shallow, intellectually narrow-minded mother, did not sit well with Bobby at all.

Alex's gasp drew him back out of his mind's wanderings.

"Oh God." Alex put the papers on the table, turned and took both his hands in hers. As they looked into each other's eyes they could both see the turmoil within. "She's yours, Bobby. Sammi's your daughter."

* * *

A/N: I know some of you are going to hate me for making Sammi Bobby's child – but bear with me – please :o)


	14. Chapter 14

Disclaimer: No characters related to CSI:NY, Law & Order or Law & Order: Criminal Intent are mine.

A/N: Apologies for the delay in posting this chapter – I was rushed into hospital and have been recovering from surgery. Finally back to normal now – well, as normal as I get anyway ;o) Many thanks to everyone who reviewed my last chapter – sorry I didn't get around to replying.

* * *

**31 August 2004 – Major Case Squad, One Police Plaza, New York**

Bobby paced back and forth in the conference room, shaking his head and trying to straighten out the thoughts running full speed through his mind. He came to a sudden halt as he collided with Alex.

"Stop, Bobby." She slipped her arms around his waist.

"Alex, I just … I didn't really think … how could she do this?" He couldn't get that one thought from overtaking all the others running through his head. "How could she keep Sammi from me all this time?"

His voice was filled with pain and confusion, which were reflected in his eyes as he stared down into Alex's face. Alex felt just as confused as Bobby, but she was also angry on his behalf. She knew how important he considered family to be and found it impossible to believe that anyone who knew him, especially as well as Lil should have, could think he would want anything other than to be fully involved in the life of any child he was father to. After Bobby's request last night that they bring the wedding forward, they had left the party late, staying to celebrate Alex's agreement with their friends. When they finally got back to the apartment Bobby had broached the subject of Alex's comments to Lil regarding custody of Sammi.

* * *

**30 August 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn, New York**

"Alex." Bobby's voice was hesitant as he helped her out of her jacket. They were in the hallway of his apartment, having just arrived back from Tina's party.

"Bobby?" Alex couldn't understand why he sounded so worried. She'd agreed to bring the wedding forward, everything was fine with the baby. Okay, there was the whole Lil/Sammi issue to be dealt with but that could … something clicked into place in Alex's brain … of course, that was the problem.

Not quite ready to broach the subject yet, Alex turned down the hall and headed into the kitchen, leaving Bobby to hang up her jacket and take off his own. As she started to make them each a cup of tea, she heard him arrive at the kitchen doorway. She could feel his eyes on her as she moved around.

'_Just spit it out, Goren, for crying out loud!_' She knew he was preparing himself to speak, she didn't need to look at him to know he was rubbing the back of his neck and staring at the floor just in front of his feet.

"Alex, I need …I need to know … I mean you … you were speaking in the … the heat of the mo … moment, so if you did … didn't mean what you said to Lil …" Bobby stammered, not looking up, unable to control the nervous anxiety he was feeling at finally broaching the subject directly.

"Bobby, stop right there." Alex turned to face him. "I wouldn't have said something like that if I didn't mean it. I know this isn't exactly what we anticipated when we started talking about having a family together but if Sammi is your child then you've already missed out on enough of her life. If you want to file for custody, fine, I'll support you in that. We can make a home for two kids instead of one. If you prefer to arrange visitation, I want to be involved."

She stepped towards him, taking his left hand she rested it against her stomach, then continue to speak.

"This baby gets to have a big sister. Even if Sammi isn't your child, she's going to need someone in her life who can stand up to Lil and make sure she gets the care and education she deserves. Nicky and Leah aren't going to be able to continue looking after Sammi indefinitely. If someone were willing to make a report to Child Protection Services regarding Lil's situation and the possible impact of her mother's on Sammi's welfare, as the father of record regardless of the DNA results Steve might be able to argue a case for joint custody at the very least."

She could clearly see the combination of astonishment and anxiety in his eyes, as he finally raised them to meet hers.

"You've already spoken to Steve?" There was no disguising the surprise in his voice. He couldn't figure out when she'd had the opportunity to call his friend to get legal advice regarding the situation with Lil and Sammi but it certainly sounded like she had.

"No!" She laughed softly. "I spoke to Paddy, who spoke to one of the family law specialists at his firm. No point having a lawyer in the family and not making use of his contacts."

"So, whichever way the test results go, you want us to file for some form of custody?" He looked deep into her eyes, searching for any hint of uncertainty there.

She reached up and stroked his cheek, nodding as she did so. Bobby's hand gently caressed her stomach, he found himself awestruck that this woman could find it within her not only to love him and bear his child but also to understand and accept his need to be a father to another woman's child, even though they had only just discovered that child might be his. He found himself wondering, not for the first time, what he could possibly have done in his life to deserve such unconditional love from such an incredible woman.

Seeing the question in his eyes, Alex answered his unspoken query. "You're the best man I've ever known, Bobby Goren. Don't ever forget that and don't ever, not even for a second, doubt whether you are the man I want to be with. I love you, more than I will ever be able to put into words. I need you, Bobby, and that isn't about to change."

He leaned down, placing a soft kiss on her lips. When he straightened up again, he smiled softly at her.

"Do you really want tea?"

She shook her head.

"How about we just go to bed?"

She nodded and he took her hand, leading her down the hallway to their bedroom.

* * *

**31 August 2004 – Major Case Squad, One Police Plaza, New York**

Having managed to calm Bobby down, at least to the point where he'd been able to sit back down and start to drink his coffee, Alex left him in the conference room and went to Captain Deakins' office. She closed to door behind her before she started to speak.

"Captain, we've got the DNA results back." She was surprised to hear how calm she sounded. "It turns out Lil was right when she put Goren's name on the birth certificate."

"Damn. How's he taking the news?" Deakins' concern for his detective was clear in his voice.

"Well, I've managed to calm him down a little but I don't think he's gonna be much use for the rest of the day. Me either for that matter."

It wasn't like Alex to admit any sort of weakness, so Deakins knew she had to be seriously off-kilter at the news of Sammi's paternity.

"How do you really feel about this, Alex?" Deakins had known Alex Eames all her life and his worries for her were not only professional, as her captain, but also personal, he cared deeply about her, thinking of her almost as a niece.

Alex flopped down into one of the chairs in front of his desk.

"To be honest?" She waited a moment, as Deakins nodded gently. She shifted mental gears deciding to speak not to her captain but to one of her parents' oldest friends, a man who had been there for her through some of the most difficult times of her life. "It's not the best of timing, as you know, but she's Bobby's child and even if she weren't she needs a father-figure in her life. Lil isn't about to change anytime soon and turn into a model mom. Sammi's grandparents aren't getting any younger and won't be able to cope with looking after her nearly full-time for much longer. I told Bobby last night, and I meant every word I said to him, that I thought we should file for joint custody on the grounds of his being named on Sammi's birth certificate. Now, knowing she's his, I just want to get her away from Lil and take care of her properly. I'll admit there's a part of me that's hurt that this child," she placed a hand on her stomach, "won't be his first; that I won't be the only mother to his children; but that's not his fault or Sammi's, for that matter. I'm angry, Jimmy, not a Bobby or Sammi, but at Lil. To deny him the chance of being a father to Sammi all this time. How could any woman give birth to a child and then treat them so casually as she has is beyond me, I can't begin to understand the way she's acted."

"Alex, not every woman is cut out to be a mother. I'm not about to start making excuses for Lil's behaviour, I don't believe there are any, but there's nothing any of us can do the change what's already happened." He gave a sad little smile, he knew this must be tearing both Alex and Bobby apart inside. "What we can do is pull together and make the best of a bad situation. Any time off you and Bobby need to deal with hearings or meetings regarding Sammi you can consider to be cleared in advance. I'm taking you both off the out of hours on-call rota for the next couple of weeks. That should at least give you time to get the preliminary paperwork sorted out and get things cleared up with Van Buren's team regarding Lil. It might also give you a chance to rest a little, don't forget you need to take care of yourself right now."

Deakins paused for a moment considering carefully whether to bring up what was on his mind. He decided it was probably best to get it out of the way.

"Do you think the two of you could handle finishing your interview with Briscoe and Green this afternoon or would you rather I put them off for another day?"

"Might as well get it over with. I called the 2-7 earlier and made the arrangements, they should be here in just over an hour. I know I'd rather get it done here, today, rather than drag it out any longer than necessary and I'm not sure Bobby can stand having an open investigation hanging over our heads for much longer, not on top of everything else."

"Fine, so long as you're sure. I want you and Bobby to go out get some air, maybe grab some food before Briscoe and Green get here. Unless something new comes up on one of your cases, when you're done with them take the rest of the day, you both need a little time to process the DNA results."

"Thanks, Captain." Alex stood up and left the office.

* * *

A/N: I promise not to keep you waiting so long for the next update and thanks again for continuing to read.


	15. Chapter 15

Disclaimer: No characters related to CSI:NY, Law & Order or Law & Order: Criminal Intent are mine.

A/N: I have absolutely no idea how the American court system would deal with a mother like Lil – so I apologise in advance for any mistakes I make.

* * *

**31 August 2004 – Major Case Squad, One Police Plaza, New York**

Alex and Bobby had just got back to their desks, having heeded Deakins' advice and escaped the office for an hour, grabbing a bite to eat while they were out. No sooner had they sat down than Goren looked up from his desk and nodded a greeting to the two homicide detectives who had just entered the MCS squad room.

"They're here, Alex." Bobby was much calmer now than he had been when Alex had first told him the test results.

He really hoped they could get their part of the sorry mess Lil had dragged them into cleared up in the next hour or so, in order that they could head over to Steve's office and start the process of filing for custody of Sammi. He had called Steve whilst Alex was talking to Deakins and his friend, as luck would have it, happened to have the afternoon free of appointments. Steve had told Bobby to come over as soon as he and Alex were finished talking to Briscoe and Green

"You ready?" She asked. She still wasn't sure if she was ready to face Briscoe and Green again, but knew it was inevitable.

"Yeah, let's get this over with." He managed a reassuring smile, despite his concerns over the way the interview had been going the previous day.

As Briscoe and Green arrived at the side of Bobby and Alex's desks.

"Bobby, Alex." Ed Green greeted them, whilst Lennie Briscoe nodded on his way past them to the Captain's office.

"What's going on?" Alex asked nodding towards Briscoe.

"We've got a break in the case, the lieutenant felt you deserved to hear about it in person and wants us to fill your captain in at the same time."

As Green spoke Briscoe came to the captain's office door and nodded to his partner.

"Okay, guys, looks like we're on."

* * *

**31 August 2004 – Office of Stephen Woods, Children's Rights Attorney, Manhattan, New York**

"So that's it. Lil's off the hook for the murder. It turns out the vic had an ex-girlfriend who he'd been stiffing for child support since he'd moved on with his life and she decided to pay him a visit to discuss the situation when he refused to acknowledge her lawyer's attempts at communication. Seems they got into an argument, he got sick of talking to her and started to get physical. She carried a gun in her purse for protection. She panicked, pulled the gun and ended up putting two slugs in him. She had one prior for receiving stolen goods, so her prints were in the system. When they got a hit on her prints against the forensics from his apartment, Briscoe and Green went to speak to her and she completely broke down, confessed on the spot. Couldn't live with the fact she'd killed the father of her two children. Given that there were reports of domestic abuse during the relationship, she'll be able to plead self-defence without any difficulty." Bobby filled in his friend, Steve, on the outcome of the investigation that had thrown his and Alex's life into turmoil.

"So, Lil's been cleared on the homicide. Still there are certainly grounds for concern regarding the manner in which she's raising Sammi. If even her own parents are worried about how the child is faring during the time she's in her mother's care then you definitely have a strong case for filing for full custody. Lil would still be entitled to visitation, obviously, but considering that Sammi spends her entire school week at her grandparents house, combined with the fact she appears to regularly change plans at the last minute in order to accommodate her own social life, well let's just say that doesn't bode well for Lil. Family Court doesn't tend to like leaving a child in the custody of a feckless parent, when the other parent is willing to provide a stable home life." Steve looked up from his notes. "I've spoken to Val and Maria about the situation, I hope you don't mind. I assume you wouldn't be planning to deny Nicky and Leah whatever visitation they want? Did you know a report has been made to Child Protection Services regarding her behaviour? Maria called them."

Bobby shook his head. "I don't mind at all you discussing this with the family but no I didn't know about Maria reporting Lil to CPS. As to contact with her maternal grandparents, I wouldn't dream of blocking Nicky and Leah from seeing Sammi whenever they wanted. They've been more like parents to her than grandparents her entire life, she's going to need their support while this is going on. So far as I know, she doesn't even know yet that I'm her father. I'm just some guy she sees occasionally at family parties." The slight edge of bitterness in Bobby's voice, as he finished speaking, was unmistakable.

"So we have a good case?" As she started to speak, Alex placed her hand on Bobby's leg, squeezing gently, hoping the contact would help keep him from getting too upset as they continued discussing the situation with Steve.

"About the only thing that may count against the two of you is the fact that you don't have an established relationship with Sammi. Given that we can easily show her mother is responsible for the lack of relationship with her father, depending on who we get sitting for the hearings, that could actually count in our favour rather than going against us. Especially as Bobby has a good relationship with the people who have been Sammi's primary caregivers for her entire life." Steve's tone was reassuring.

"What about the fact that we're in such high-risk jobs?" Alex wanted to be sure they had all the bases covered.

Bobby sat in silence, he couldn't believe this could possibly be this easy. Steve seemed to think it was pretty much a shoo-in that he and Alex would get at least joint custody of Sammi. From what his friend had already said the probability was that most Family Court judges would rule in favour of them getting full custody of Sammi, permitting Lil visitation rights only. He placed his hand over Alex's where it rested on his thigh, turning it over and weaving their fingers together.

"Alex neither of you has been injured in the line of duty in the past five years. The kinds of cases you deal with your risk factor is considerably lower than your average uniform on the street. Take into account the fact you're both well paid, you'll have additional income from the rental of your house in Rockaway, you're in a stable relationship and going to have a child of your own. These factors all count in your favour, most judges, even in Family Court, actually look pretty favourably on cops. Also, Bobby's apartment is mortgage free and plenty big enough for four of you. You've stated that you're intending to make whatever changes are needed to make the place safe for a child Sammi's age. From what Maria said about Lil's attitude towards her home and Sammi's safety that is definitely going to go over well, especially as Child Protection will have visited Lil's place by the time we get to court and we'll have their report."

Steve paused and looked from Alex to Bobby. "What about childcare, have you discussed that at all?"

Alex nodded. "We think, for the time being at least, Sammi should continue spending weekdays with Nicky and Leah, if they're willing to help us out. We haven't had chance to speak with them yet but with the upheaval there's bound to be, whether we get full or joint custody, Sammi's going to need to stay in her current school and have as normal a routine as possible during the week. The main difference would be that she'd be at home with us in the evenings and sleep at our apartment, rather than her grandparents. As we live in the same neighbourhood as her grandparents continuing at the same school isn't a problem. I spoke to my parents and they're happy to take care of Sammi if we're called in on a weekend, we'd already told them about her and Lil. Tina Santorini, Sammi's great-aunt, called when we were on our way here and made it clear she would be highly offended if we didn't feel free to call her if we needed someone to look after Sammi, and the baby once it's born, if we're called in at night."

Steve's face broke into a broad smile at the mention of Tina. "Yeah, I imagine Tina would say something like, 'Alexandra, you dare to drive that baby all the way out to your parents' house when I'm just around the corner and no more of Sal's cooking for you.' Am I right?"

Alex actually laughed, even Bobby managed to stop looking so worried and smiled.

"Something along those lines, yeah. I guess I forgot that you know Tina." Alex said, as her laughter subsided.

"Only since I was about fifteen." Steve grinned back at Alex.

The atmosphere in the office was suddenly much more relaxed.

"So, when do we have the preliminary hearing?" Bobby asked, his voice now much closer to his normal tone.

"I've got all the information I need to file the custody papers. I'd say we're looking at maybe a couple of weeks tops, given that Child Protection are now involved. By then the two of you will be married, which will also go over well with the court."

Bobby gave his friend a hard stare. "We're not getting married early to increase my chances of getting custody of Sammi." He stated wanting to make sure Steve wasn't getting the wrong idea.

"Bobby, I know that, you invited me to the original wedding, remember. Besides, Val took great pleasure in telling me what happened during Tina's party and at that point you didn't know Sammi was actually your kid. Look I suggest you call Nicky and Leah and arrange to go visit, check out how they feel about the situation. Given Tina's reaction and that you," Steve nodded towards Bobby, "have always gotten on well with them I would think Sammi's grandparents will be happy to continue helping out with taking care of her during the day."

There was a knock at Steve's office door.

"Come in." Steve's secretary, Anna, walked into the office, carrying a small stack of paperwork.

"Sorry to interrupt but you said to hurry this paperwork along. It's ready to sign." She smiled at Bobby, she'd met him a couple of times when he'd visited Steve office before and definitely had a soft spot for her boss's tall, good-looking friend.

"Thanks, Anna." Anna handed Steve the papers, nodded and then turned and left the office. Steve glanced at clock on his desk. "If you sign these now, there's time to get them filed today."

The three of them spent the next half hour going over the custody papers, which Alex and Bobby then signed.

"I'll take these over myself. See if I can't get us a hearing date for next week while I'm there." Steve said as Alex finished signing the papers.

* * *

A/N: Much as I would love to throw Lil in prison for murder I just couldn't do that to Sammi – I'll just hammer Lil in Family Court instead.


	16. Chapter 16

Disclaimer: No characters related to CSI:NY, Law & Order or Law & Order: Criminal Intent are mine.

A/N: Let's see how Sammi and her grandparents deal with their first meeting with Child Protection Services.

* * *

**31 August 2004 – Home of Nicky & Leah Giovaissi, Brooklyn, New York**

Sammi Giovaissi sat on the couch between her grandparents in the living room of their apartment. In the armchair opposite sat Helena MacLean of Child Protection Services.

"So, Samantha …" Helena found herself cut off.

"Sammi, I don't like bein' called Samantha." The little girl pouted slightly as she corrected the stranger in her midst.

"Okay, Sammi it is. I'm Helena, I'm here to talk to you and find out a few things about what's going on in your life." Helena smiled reassuringly. "Are you okay with talking to me?"

Sammi looked at the woman opposite her carefully. She knew that her mother had fallen out with Nana and Poppy and was worried that it was something she had done that had caused the falling out between the adults closest to her. Her mother had come to visit that morning before school, something she never usually did. Nana had barely even spoken to greet Mommy and Mommy had seemed nervous about something. Sammi was uncertain of exactly what was going on but as Poppy had ushered her out of the door to go to school she'd heard Mommy saying something about Bobby and then someone called Michael. The only Michael Sammi knew worked for her Uncle Sal, he helped in the kitchen at the restaurant with Cousin Val. For the life of her Sammi couldn't think of why her mother would be talking to Nana about Uncle Sal's Michael.

"Is this something to do with Bobby and Michael?" Sammi finally asked after a few moments of thoughtful silence.

Helena MacLean was completely taken aback by the child's direct question. She knew about the arrest of Sammi's mother on suspicion of homicide and the fact that Sammi's paternity was open to question, the two candidates being Michael Jacobsen, now deceased, and Robert 'Bobby' Goren, NYPD detective.

"Why, yes, in a way it is. What do you know about Bobby and Michael, Sammi?"

"Bobby is a policeman, he's Cousin Val's friend and Aunt Annie likes him a lot. Mommy and me danced with him at Cousin Val's wedding and he was nice to me. Michael works for Uncle Sal, sometimes when I visit he gives me ice-cream. I like Michael, he's my friend, he's real nice. Why was Mommy talking to Nana about Bobby and Michael?" Sammi looked up at each of her grandparents as she spoke.

Helena looked at Sammi, somewhat surprised at getting such a clear response from so young a child. Then she looked at Leah.

"Mrs Giovaissi," Helena's tone drew Leah's attention. "I take it this is another Michael?"

"Oh yes, my brother-in-law Sal's assistant chef at the restaurant is called Michael. He's the only person by that name that Sammi knows." Leah hesitated and looked down at her granddaughter again. "I didn't realise you heard what me and your mother were talking about this morning. What did you hear, Sammi?"

"Not much, Nana, but I did hear Mommy saying Bobby and Michael's names just before Poppy took me to school this morning. Did I get Michael in trouble? Is Bobby gonna 'rest him?" The worry in the little girl's voice was obvious.

"Oh baby, no. Mommy and me were talking about a different Michael. You didn't get anyone in trouble." Leah gently stroked Sammi's hair as she spoke.

"Oh, okay." Sammi's relief that she hadn't got her friend in trouble was obvious to all three adults. With the easy acceptance of a child her age Sammi relaxed and turned her attention back to Helena. "Helena, if I didn't get Michael in trouble 'cos of the ice-cream, why are you here?"

Once again, Helena was taken aback at the directness with which Sammi approached the situation. She wasn't used to such a young child asking her straight-out why she was suddenly involved in their life. Her surprise showed in her face and caused Leah to smile.

"You better get used to that, Ms McLean. Sammi here is very bright and she likes to know what's going on." Nicky beamed with obvious pride as he spoke.

"Please, Mr Giovaissi, call me Helena."

"In that case you best call me Nick." Almost against his will Nicky Giovaissi found himself beginning to like the woman who had been sent to investigate his granddaughter's situation.

"Okay, now that we've got that settled, we better get back to business." Helena smiled, she had a feeling dealing with Sammi Giovaissi and her grandparents was going to be very interesting. "Sammi, do you know why you're staying with your grandparents rather than your mother?"

"Mommy got in trouble with the police. She couldn't pick me up at the weekend for our fun time like she usually does. Then she and Nana fell out when Mommy came to Aunt Tina's party. Aunt Maria took me into the office so's I could rest and when I'd had a rest Nana brought me home. I always stay with Nana and Poppy during school time anyways. Sometimes I stay at weekends too and I like that, 'cos I like gettin' to play with all my cousins and my friends from school. Sometimes we have dinner at Uncle Sal's restaurant when I stay at weekends." Sammi paused a moment, considering what she wanted to say next. "Mommy never lets me come over to play with my friends on a weekend and she only brings me to see the family if there's a party. I like seein' my family, there're lots of them and even if we fight sometimes we still have fun and we always end up friends again. I don't mind staying extra with Nana and Poppy."

"That's nice, that you like playing with your friends and family, Sammi. I know you have a lot of aunt, uncles and cousins here in the neighbourhood and you're certainly doing very well in school. How would you feel about staying with your Nana and Poppy on weekends all the time for a while?"

Helena had, of course, read the report regarding Lil's behaviour towards her daughter but had yet to meet the woman. She was scheduled to visit Lil once she'd finished speaking with Sammi and her grandparents. She had already met with Sammi's school principal, who had made it quite plain that whilst Sammi's grandparents were always available to meet regarding the child and attended every school function, no matter how minor, her mother rarely attended any school activity whatsoever and had only turned up for one parent/teacher conference out of the three that had been scheduled since Sammi had started in their nursery class. Leah and Nicky on the other had had been at all three of the scheduled meetings.

"Like I said already, I don't mind staying extra but Nana and Poppy might get a little tired."

"Why might they get a little tired, Sammi?" Helena couldn't help asking, hearing the concern in the child's voice.

"Well, I love Nana and Poppy a lot but they're not as young as Mommy and Mommy says I have lots of energy and sometimes I wear people out."

Leah hugged Sammi to her, her love for her granddaughter obvious. "You don't have to worry about me and Poppy, sweetheart, we can manage."

"That's right, mia bella. Just so long as you want to stay here, you stay here, there's nothing for you to worry about." Nicky ran a gentle hand over his granddaughter's curls.

"You sure I won't wear you out? Mommy complains sometimes that I wear her out. When I wear out my toys or my clothes and shoes Mommy throws them away. She says there's no point in holding onto things once they're all worn out. I don't want you and Nana to get thrown away."

"Nobody is going to get thrown away, Sammi." Nick reassured her, tamping down his irritation at how a few careless words from his daughter could set Sammi's ever active mind to worrying.

"Sammi, is it alright with you if I speak to your Nana and Poppy alone for a little while?" Helena asked.

Sammi tilted her head to one side, obviously giving Helena's request serious consideration.

"I suppose that would be okay." The child wriggled out from between her grandparents. "I can go play in my room. I have most of my toys here. Would you like to see them once you're done talking with Nana and Poppy?"

The surprise on Leah's face made it obvious to Helena that this should be considered quite an honour.

"Why yes I would, thank you very much, Sammi."

"You're welcome." After kissing each of her grandparents on the cheek, Sammi made her way out of the room.

* * *

Helena turned her attention to Nick and Leah. "I take it that it's somewhat unusual for Sammi to invite someone to see her toys?"

"Well, yes it is. Don't get me wrong she's always willing to share if some of her cousins or friends come to visit here but she doesn't usually let adults, except a few of the family and me and Leah, anywhere near her things. She must really like you."

Helena smiled in understanding. "That's good, Nick. I get the feeling me and Sammi are going to be seeing quite a bit of each other over the next few months. It always helps to have a rapport with a child." She hesitated a moment before continuing. "I get the feeling the two of you aren't exactly averse to the idea of Sammi not living with Lil, even on weekends, if other arrangements can be made."

"Don't get us wrong, we love our daughter but she's never really taken to being a mother." Nick took his wife's hand as he spoke. "I've never understood the way she is with Sammi. She's such a good kid, always tries to do her best, very smart, never been any real trouble, even when she was just a baby. Lil just can't seem to handle being a parent."

"I understand there are some concerns regarding Lil's apartment and Sammi's safety?" Helena's tone was carefully neutral.

"Well, there have an a few household accidents on weekends, trapped fingers, bruises from furniture, that kind of thing. Nothing serious, you understand, never anything that needed a visit to the emergency room but Lil's never gone to the trouble of making her place child-friendly, you know what I mean." Nick looked around the room, his eyes pointing out the various corner pads on the cupboards and tables, the doorstops that had been installed before Sammi had started to walk. "All the time she spends here and Sammi's never had a single accident when she was with us except for falling over when she's moving too fast."

"I can see that you've taken great care in making sure your home is a safe environment for a young child. That's a lot of trouble to go to."

"Well, it's not just for Sammi, we have other grandchildren who visit regularly and there're always some of their and Sammi's school friends calling round." Leah tried to play down how much care they had taken to make their home safe for Sammi, as opposed to the lack of it from their daughter regarding her own home.

Helena spent the next half-hour talking with Nick and Leah regarding how Sammi was doing in school, what she did outside of school and how she interacted with her family and friends, and in particular how she got along with her mother. The subject of her French lessons with Annie was a point of special pride for Leah, who felt her granddaughter's talent for languages should be nurtured at every opportunity. Helena was very impressed with what she was hearing, Sammi seemed to be very well-adjusted considering the obvious lack of interest from her own mother. Her grandparents obviously went to great lengths to ensure the child didn't feel neglected on those occasions, so far as Helena could tell fairly frequent, when her mother changed her weekend plans at the last moment, cutting her time with Sammi down to only one day or sometimes just a few hours on a Sunday afternoon and evening.

They also broached the subject of Sammi's father. When the possibility of Sammi being Bobby's child was raised, Helena was surprised at how Leah and Nick actually welcomed this news, which had only been broken to Leah by Lil that morning. Leah had spoken to Nick about it when he'd returned home after dropping Sammi off at school.

"Bobby Goren, he's a good man. He's not had an easy life but he's turned out well." Nick enthused to Helena.

"If Bobby and his fiancée were to file for custody of Sammi, how would the two of you feel about that?" Helena hated to ask the question but she knew from her telephone conversations with Maria and Val what had been said at the party and she needed to know where Sammi's grandparents stood on such an important point.

Nick and Leah exchanged a look that spoke volumes. After a moment Leah responded to Helena's question. The answer both pleased and surprised the social worker.

"To be honest, we'd support them. I can't see that Bobby would try and stop us from seeing Sammi, he's not that kind of a person. We've met Alex a few times at family parties, she and Bobby have worked together for years. Even before they got together it was obvious how deeply they cared for each other. Bobby has always been wonderful with the kids in the family, whatever their ages, but he seems to have a special touch when it comes to the little ones. As for Alex, well you only have to look at what she did for her sister last year to know the woman has a good heart and a lot of love to give."

"What she did for her sister last year?" Helena wracked her brains trying to figure out the reference.

"Oh, I don't know if it's my place to say." Leah looked at Nick in confusion.

"It's going to come out during any custody hearing and it's not like it's actually a secret anyways." Nick said, then turned to Helena. "Alex had a baby last year, but it was her sister's, she was a, what do you call it, a surrogate."

"So Alexandra Eames acted as a surrogate mother for her sister." Helena sounded slightly worried at this information. Could Ms Eames be looking to replace the child she'd had to give up? Could that be the reason she and Mr Goren were considering applying for custody of Sammi? Helena had yet to meet Bobby and Alex, so she was unsure of exactly what their agenda might be.

"Yes, that's right. Of course, now she and Bobby are expecting a baby of their own." Leah had heard this news from Tina, having missed the scene in the restaurant whilst she was in the office with Sammi.

Helena's doubts were somewhat abated by this information. "So they'd be taking on Sammi and then having their own child. How do you feel about that?"

"Well Sammi's always very good around any of her baby cousins. A couple of times she's asked if she's going to get a little brother or sister one of these days. I think she'll be able to cope if it turns out Bobby is her father, especially if he and Alex present her with a baby in a few months time." Leah actually laughed as she finished speaking, remembering Sammi's disappointment a few months ago when one of her cousins had told her that they were getting another baby and Sammi had asked Lil if she could have one as well. Lil had been quite emphatic about not having any more children, much to Sammi's annoyance.

The three adults continued talking over the situation for a little while longer, until Helena felt they'd covered all the ground they could for the time being.

"I think that's everything for now." Helena closed her notebook. "I'm due to meet with your daughter at her apartment later but I still have a little time to spare. Do you think my invitation to Sammi's room is still good?"

"I think she would be offended if you didn't take her up on her offer." Nick laughed, rising from his seat and leading the social worker down the hall to Sammi's room.


	17. Chapter 17

Disclaimer: No characters related to CSI:NY, Law & Order or Law & Order: Criminal Intent are mine.

* * *

**31 August 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn, New York**

"So, Beth, what brings you all the way to Brooklyn?" Alex jiggled her nephew on knee, as she addressed her sister.

This was the first time Beth had initiated contact with Alex in the past three months. When Alex had opened the door to find her sister there with Nathan in her arms she had been stunned. Bobby had taken the hint when Alex had walked into the lounge holding Nathan and nodded towards the door. He'd said he had to be somewhere and headed out the door, deciding this was as good a time as any to go visit Sal and Tina and ask them how they thought it would be best to approach Nick and Leah regarding Sammi and the upcoming custody dispute with Lil.

"Sean and I had a huge fight and he said until I get things sorted out with you he's not discussing anything with me, because it all ends up coming back to this." Beth waved a hand to indicate herself and Alex. "You and me and my attitude towards you and Bobby."

"What was the argument about?" Alex, ever the family mediator, decided to sidestep the long festering problem her sister had regarding Alex's relationship and focused instead on Beth's possible marital problems.

Beth swallowed audibly. "It was … it was when Mom called and told us you were pregnant. I kinda … well I guess the best description would be to say I blew a gasket." She at least had the decency to look shamefaced at her admission.

Alex's heart fell to her feet. She had been hoping that the news of her pregnancy might bring her sister round about her and Bobby, obviously that hadn't been the case.

"So you can't even be happy for me to have what I gave you." Alex looked sadly down at the smiling infant in her lap.

Beth shrugged uncertainly, she was unsure of how the phrase what was going through her mind without permanently destroying her relationship with her sister. Nathan started to fuss and yawn on his aunt's lap.

"He's tired, is there somewhere I could put him down for a nap?" Beth asked, relieved at the momentary distraction.

"I'll take him through to our room, I can make him a nest on the floor." Alex quickly stood up, glad of the chance to process the idea that her sister might begrudge her not only the chance of happiness with a good man but the opportunity to have a child of her own.

Alex took Nathan down the hall to her and Bobby's bedroom. She quickly stripped the quilt off the bed, arranging it on the floor and placing the baby in the middle of it, then placing a pillow to each side of the already half-asleep infant to stop him of rolling off the folded quilt. By the time Alex had finished arranging the bedding and placed a lightweight throw over Nathan he was already sound asleep.

* * *

Instead of going straight back to the lounge, Alex went to the kitchen and got herself and Beth some tea. Bobby, had set the filled tea kettle on the stove on his way out of the apartment, leaving the gas on low beneath it so it wouldn't take so long to boil when Alex was ready to use it. Alex reminded herself to thank him suitably later.

Returning to the lounge she placed a mug in front of Beth and returned to her seat. She let the heavy silence prevail for a moment, sipping at her tea and holding tight to her emotions.

"Beth, what is wrong with you? What happened to my little sister who was always trying to get me to share her dolls instead of playing with the boys' cars? These past few months you've shut me out, tried to break apart the best thing that's ever happened to me …"

Beth's eyes came up to meet her sister's. "You including Joe in that?"

"Joe? What's Joe got to do with any of this? You know we were having a bad time of things when he died. Whether we would have worked things out is something I stopped worrying about a long time ago. What I do know is that I'm a different person now to who I was when I married Joe and that, much as I loved him when I married him, what I have with Bobby is different. It's stronger, more real. I know myself better now than I did back then and Bobby knows me way better than Joe ever did." Alex paused and sipped her tea. "If I'm honest, Beth, I think if I'd still been married to Joe when I got partnered with Bobby, I would still have fallen in love with him. Whether anything would have happened between us, given how long it took anyhow, is another matter entirely, but I would've still fallen for Bobby."

Beth nodded sadly, she could understand what her sister meant. Alex and Joe had been still fairly young when they'd met and whereas Alex had grown as a person rapidly during the short time they'd been married, Joe had seemed to stay the same. He had still flirted with other women, although so far as Beth knew there had never been anything beyond flirting. There had been regular drinking sessions with his buddies, often when Alex had been expected him to attend family events. He'd seemed proud of Alex's rapid rise through the ranks, whilst at the same time making cracks and taking pot-shots at her, each time her career took another step ahead of his. Joe had been trying to hold onto his youth by refusing to change and they'd grown apart as a result of that. The final straw for Alex had been when he'd kept pushing her to have a child, despite his obvious inability to grow-up.

"I think … no, I know I'm more than a little jealous." Beth blushed as she spoke, finally finding the words she'd been searching for. "I know things with you and Bobby aren't like things were with Uncle Tony. You were right, that first night, at the restaurant. That was the first thing that came to mind but I've gotten past that. What I can't get past is the fact that my big sister is finally getting to have it all."

Alex stared at her sister, unable to find any words of comfort as Beth continued to speak.

"I mean look at you. You get to be the first girl in the family to follow in both our grandfathers' footsteps and become a cop. Better yet, you're a first grade detective with the most high profile unit in the entire department. Your first husband was, at the time of your marriage, the departmental golden boy and that was probably one of the proudest moments of Dad's life. His eldest daughter, his daughter the cop, marrying the man half the NYPD Academy's instructors honestly expected would make Police Commissioner one of these days. Then you got to be all selfless and make Dad oh-so-proud again when you offered to be a surrogate for me and Sean. Not that I'm not grateful for Nathan, god knows I am, but you got to do something I couldn't. You carried my child for me when my own body refused to do so." Beth paused and took a quick sip of her tea.

"Then you fall in love with your partner. Dad should have been so angry about it but he wasn't. Long before you and Bobby actually did anything about how you felt Dad was already whispering to Mom about how wonderful a couple you and Bobby would make. Now here you are, happily planning another wedding, already pregnant with his child, living in an apartment that I could never hope to afford in a million years, the majority of the family, Sean included, singing Bobby's praises and saying what a wonderful thing this is." She took another sip of tea.

"Where does that leave me? The runner-up, that's where that leaves me. My job isn't anything exciting, I'm just a teacher like Mom was. As for children, well I can forget having any more now, can't I. I mean, look how quickly you got pregnant. You and Bobby are gonna have this whole, huge brood of kids and there's no hope in hell that he's ever gonna let you repeat the experience of being a surrogate."

Alex held up a hand to silence her sister. "Whoa, whoa, say again? You think Bobby would never let me have another child for you? Where did that come from? You've never mentioned wanting another baby and even if you did want more kids, Nate is still less than a year old, it's a little soon to be talking little brothers and sisters. Besides, Beth, if I'm honest, I'm not sure I could go through another surrogacy. I know I never said anything to anyone but it hurt having to hand that little boy in there over to you and Sean. Bobby helped me a lot getting past that hurt, even though he doesn't know it. If, and that's a very big if, I were to agree to act as your surrogate again, Bobby would support me in that. He would never, not in a million years, refuse to help you, or any of our family, in any way he could. He certainly wouldn't try to stop me from helping my family."

"But you'll be too busy having your own kids, building your own life together, to give any thought to you acting as a surrogate again. I know I'm stupid and selfish and jealous but I can't seem to stop thinking about how you're getting everything I ever wanted. I never told anyone, not anyone, but I tried out for the police academy. As soon as I was old enough I took the entrance exam. I failed the psych evaluation. Apparently I wasn't tough enough to be a cop. My own body betrayed me when I decided to have kids. I wasn't healthy enough, not good enough, to actually be a proper mother. I'm married to a wonderful man, who loves me enough to stick with me even when I fail him as a mate, but I still can't help looking at you and Bobby and feeling jealous of what you have. All that passion, that fire, people could see it between the two of you even when you both still denied it yourselves. The way he understands you, knows what you need and when you need it. Even when you were 'just friends', 'only partners' you had the kind of relationship most people never get to have. Like you said, he knows you way better than Joe ever did. How many women are lucky enough to get a second chance like that? And I mean, what a second chance. That man is just plain gorgeous. You do know that don't you? I mean just look at him and, my god, that voice …" Beth trailed off as she realised what she'd said.

Alex gulped and stared at her sister for a moment, gathering her words carefully.

"You're jealous because you find Bobby attractive and you don't know how to handle that?" It came out as more of a statement than a question.

"I … I … Oh god, what am I saying?" Beth sounded panicked. "I love Sean, I'm happy with my marriage."

Nathan's sudden cry from down the hall interrupted his mother. Beth glanced at her watch then stood up abruptly.

"I … I better get going. Sean's due home in just over an hour and Nate's gonna be due for a feed by the time I get back."

"Beth, we can't leave things like this." Alex stood, grabbing her sister's arm.

"We'll discuss it later. I really can't handle this right now." Beth pulled free of Alex's grasp and bolted out of the lounge and down the hall to collect her son.

* * *

**31 August 2004 – Apartment of Liliana Giovaissi, Manhattan, New York**

"Hello, Ms Giovaissi. I'm Helena MacLean, we spoke on the phone this morning." Helena stood in the hall outside Lil's stylish Manhattan apartment.

Lil opened the door wider. "Of course, do come in, please."

Lil glanced down the hall to make sure her neighbours hadn't seen the arrival of the social working. This was so embarrassing from her point of view. She was already the talk of the building, having been taken into police custody, now she would have to deal with the stigma of being investigated regarding her child as well. This was just too humiliating.

"Can I offer you anything, Ms MacLean? Coffee, tea, juice?"

"It's Mrs MacLean, dear, or Helena if you prefer. How about we both have some coffee?" Helena looked, rather pointedly at the glass in Lil's hand. The liquid looked like orange juice but the undertone of alcohol on Lil's breath was obvious.

With an aggravated toss of her carefully styled hair, Lil indicated the lounge area. "Please take a seat in the lounge. I'll get your coffee."

Lil disappeared into the small kitchen, reappearing a moment later bearing a single cup of coffee, which she placed on the metal and glass coffee table in front of the chair Helena had chosen. Lil took a seat on her favourite chaise-lounge.

"So, Mrs MacLean, what exactly is it you need to know?" Lil emphasised the 'Mrs'. She couldn't understand why any professional woman would be proud to advertise the fact that she was married.

"Well for starters, Ms Giovaissi, I have to inform you that, as of this afternoon, papers have been filed by Mr Robert Goren applying for sole custody of Samantha Giovaissi, your daughter. Included with the application for custody was a NYPD certified DNA report, showing Mr Goren to be Samantha's biological father, was well as a copy of her birth certificate showing he is named as her legal father also." Helena had called her supervisor when she'd finished her meeting with Sammi and her grandparents, and had been updated with regard to the current situation. She couldn't help but notice that Lil did not correct her when she used Sammi's full name, obviously Lil wasn't worried about how her daughter preferred to be addressed. "Along with the application for custody there was also a TRO, a Temporary Restraining Order. Do you know what that is Ms Giovaissi?"

Lil stared at the woman and took a large gulp of her 'juice'. "I know what a restraining order is. What are the terms?"

Helena took a deep breath, unsure of how the younger woman might react. She was fairly confident she wouldn't have to deal with maternal hysterics, if nothing else.

"Primarily, Samantha remains resident full time at her grandparents' home in Brooklyn. She is to have no overnight visitation with you until the custody issue is settled. All visitation will be supervised by a member of Child Protection Services and will take place at either her grandparents' home or a suitable location nearby. You are not to attempt to remove Samantha from your parents' custody and you are not to pick her up from school unless you are accompanied by member of Child Protection Services. Also, you are ordered not to harass, by any method, Mr Goren or his fiancée." Helena noted that, throughout the list of restrictions regarding contact with Sammi, Lil's demeanour remained passive. As soon as the anti-harassment clause was mentioned, however, Lil's face came to life. Her lips pursed and her eyes flared, her anger quite apparent.

"Harass Bobby? How could I possibly harass Bobby? I mean, how are we supposed to get this matter settled if I can't speak with him?" Lil's voice was shrill.

"Ms Giovaissi, please calm down. Simply put you are to make all contact with Mr Goren and Miss Eames via their attorney, Mr Woods, who will arrange mutually convenient meetings." Helena pulled a note from her file and handed it to Lil. "These are Mr Woods details. Now, with regard to Sammi herself. Could you explain to me how it is that your daughter spends the majority of her time staying with your parents, rather than living here full time?" Helena managed to keep her tone professional and detached, despite her irritation at Lil's obvious lack of interest in what was happening with regard to Sammi, her entire interest being on what it meant only as far as herself and any possible contact with Bobby was concerned.

"I work full time here in Manhattan, when she was a baby my parents offered to help me out by looking after Sammi while I was working. It's simply more practical for her to stay with them during the week, rather than dragging her back and forth between their place and here. She's always been happy to stay with them and they love having her there, my father often comments that she keeps them feeling young." Lil took another sip of her drink. "You do realise this is all that little Tinkerbell's idea don't you? Bobby's partner doesn't like me at all. She's jealous of the fact I had him before she did. Now she's decided to get back at me by coming between me and Bobby when we had a chance at becoming a proper family."

"Ms Giovaissi, as I understand the situation, you've had very little contact with Mr Goren since your relationship brokedown prior to your discovering you were pregnant. Although you put Mr Goren's name on the birth certificate you never informed him of your pregnancy. Following Sammi's birth you never contacted Mr Goren to tell him he had a child, nor did you try to claim child support. Is that correct?" Helena took a sip of her coffee.

"Well yes, but you have to understand I was living with Jeff after I split up with Bobby. He was going to be a doctor, we were going to have the perfect life. Then he found out he was infertile. He accused me of cheating on him and he walked out on me. I didn't have a choice, I had to tell my family that Jeff was the father. Even back then my parents, my uncle and aunt, my cousins, they all thought the world of Bobby. If they knew I'd cheated on him by sleeping with Jeff while we were still together then they would have never forgiven me. So I had to keep on saying the baby was Jeff's but when she was born I took one look at her and knew she was Bobby's. How could I go to him at that point and say she was his? He would never have believed me, never have forgiven me." Lil paused to take another sip of her drink. By now it was obvious to Helena that Lil was more than slightly inebriated.

"When I saw him at Val's wedding with Sammi in his arms all I could think was that this was my second chance. Bobby always loved kids, he was always so good with my little cousins. I knew he'd make a good father. We danced at the wedding party, me, Bobby and Sammi. It felt so right. He was a perfect gentleman, of course, wouldn't let me make any moves on him in front of Sammi but I'm sure the old spark was still there." Lil trailed off, completely losing track of what she was trying to say as she lost herself in recollection.

"Ms Giovaissi?" Helena tried to draw Lil's attention back to the present, but the younger woman's eyes were starting to drift closed.

Lil didn't respond to Helena's attempts to wake her. After about five minutes, sure that there was nothing worse wrong with Lil than the fact the woman was drunk, Helena had a quick look around the apartment. She noted the lack of child safety features, uncovered electrical outlets, unguarded fireplace, the glass and metal tables and shelving. There was no sign that Sammi spent any time here, no sign of the child's existence in the public areas of her mother's other than one small photograph on a shelf in the corner.

Deciding against further investigation without Lil's consent, Helena made one final attempt to wake her, before leaving the apartment, letting the door latch closed behind her. Helena hoped the simple locking mechanism would be sufficient to keep Lil safe until she awoke from her stupor.

* * *


	18. Chapter 18

Disclaimer: No characters related to CSI:NY, Law & Order or Law & Order: Criminal Intent are mine.

* * *

**31 August 2004 – Sal's, New Restaurant, Brooklyn York**

"Hi, Paul, your mom and dad around?" Bobby greeted his friend as he walked into the restaurant.

"Hey, Bobby, how's it goin'?" Paul hugged Bobby by way of greeting.

"Not … not great at the moment, you know, with this whole Sammi thing hanging over our heads." Bobby shook his head slightly as if trying to get his thoughts in order, as he and Paul separated.

"Yeah … yeah, I can't believe that one even of Lil." Paul's face clearly showed his displeasure at his cousin's behaviour.

"Yeah, well, believe it. We got the DNA results and they're conclusive. No doubt about it, Sammi is my daughter." Bobby was still having trouble saying those words without feeling a surge of anger towards Lil rushing through him. "Anyway, I … I really need to talk to Sal and Tina. See how they think the land's gonna lie with Nicky and Leah."

It was easy for Paul to gauge the extent of Bobby's distraction by the fact he wasn't referring to anyone as 'aunt' or 'uncle'. Even in conversation with his friends Bobby was nearly always respectful regarding the older members of the family.

"Mom and Dad are upstairs, it's quiet tonight, not a lot of bookings, so they're trusting me and Val to take care of things on our own." Paul smiled, as Bobby nodded distractedly and headed to the back of the restaurant to make his way upstairs to Sal and Tina's apartment.

* * *

"Bobby, what are you doing here?" Tina hugged Bobby as she spoke.

"I … erm … I really need to speak to you … both of you actually." He nodded to Sal who was standing behind his wife in the hallway of their apartment.

"This about Lil and Sammi by any chance son?" Sal always did like to get straight to the point.

Bobby nodded and looked from Sal to Tina and back again.

"Come on through, this could take a while, we might as well be comfortable. You want a drink?" As Sal spoke he walked towards the lounge.

"Just coffee, if there's any ready." The last thing Bobby needed right now was to have his minded clouded by alcohol, much as it might help to relieve some of the stress he was feeling.

"When have you ever known me not to have coffee ready?" Tina teased turning into the kitchen, as the men headed into the lounge together.

Bobby and Sal waited until Tina had joined them and they each had a coffee before they spoke again.

"So, Bobby …" Sal started to speak at the same time as Bobby.

"We got the DNA results today …" Bobby stopped short as he realised he was talking over Sal.

"No, you go ahead." Sal waved a hand, signalling for Bobby to continue.

"She's mine. All this time and Lil never once mentioned the possibility of Sammi being mine to anyone in the family?" This was one thing Bobby had been wondering about ever since this whole thing had started on Saturday, whether Lil had ever intimated to at least one family member that Sammi could be his child.

"Never heard anything myself. Tina?" Sal looked at his wife.

"You know if I'd heard something like that I would have told you." Tina gave her husband a look that told him, in no uncertain terms, exactly what she thought of him even having to ask such a question of her.

"So not a single whisper, not in all this time?" Bobby watched as Sal and Tina both shook their heads, their sadness on his behalf obvious in their eyes. "Dammit, how could she do that? I mean, I know we weren't together for long and it must have been over before she found out about the baby but surely she couldn't have thought I wouldn't want to know?"

"Bobby, I hate to say this about my own sister's child, but Lil has always been selfish. She's the baby girl of a baby girl. Leah always got the easiest ride from our own Papa and when Lil came along, the only girl after so many boys, well I guess Nicky and Leah were always more than a little soft with her." Sal took a sip of his coffee, more than half wishing he was drinking something stronger. "That girl has six big brothers and every single one of them doted on her as a child. Nobody messed with her in school, she never had to put up with teasing or bullying. Being so pretty certainly helped. Even if she wasn't the most intelligent kid in class she was certainly one of the most popular. The girls all wanted to hang out with her because she was pretty and funny and that brought the boys running. The boys all came running because she was so pretty and didn't necessarily turn down as many of them as she should have."

Sal shook his head sadly, recalling some of the boyfriends who had been run-off by Lil's older brothers over the years she was in high school, many of them completely unsuitable in the family's eyes.

"Bobby, by rights Liliana should be our favourite niece, seeing how she's our niece twice over." Tina's voice was sad as she spoke.

Bobby nodded his understanding. Nicky Giovaissi was Tina's older brother, Leah was Sal's youngest sister, the two of them had met whilst Sal was courting Tina, fallen in love and gotten married less than a year after their brother and sister's wedding.

"I wish I could say she was a wonderful child, at least, but I can't. Sal's right, Lil was always more interested in herself than anyone else and, unfortunately, that hasn't changed over the years. Even Leah has finally lost patience with her. She gave her hell in the office after she arrived at my party and upset Sammi. I had hoped that, when you and she got together it might help to finally straighten the girl out but instead, it would seem, she just continued on in her usual way. I'm so sorry she cheated on you, even though you didn't know about it at the time. You deserved better than that. I must admit I did have my suspicions when that med student moved in with her so soon as the two of you broke up, but I wasn't my place to say anything." Tina leaned forward, placing one tiny hand on Bobby's knee. "But you didn't come here to rake over old history did you? You wanted to talk to us about something else?"

"I wanted to ask …" Bobby paused, searching for the best way to frame his question, "… I need to ask you about how Nick and Leah might react to me and Alex seeking custody of Sammi. I mean, they know me pretty well but Alex is kind of an unknown quantity to them. Do you think they'd oppose me suing for custody on the grounds that they don't know Alex?"

Tina's tender smile didn't do a great deal to reassure Bobby, who was becoming increasingly nervous about how his daughter's grandparents might be reacting to the situation they now all found themselves in.

"It's not as if they've never met Alex, Bobby. Since you first introduced her to us she's attended a few family parties with you. I don't know if you realise this, but since you've been partners you've not once brought another woman with you to a family event. You mentioned one or two girlfriends, shortly after you and Lil broke up but since then, nothing." Sal grinned knowingly at the younger man, who was now slightly flushed with embarrassment.

"There's nothing to be ashamed off in falling in love with someone, Bobby. Just because you didn't do anything about it straightaway doesn't make what you and Alex have together something less than it should be. If anything it makes it something more special. You took your time getting to know each other properly, becoming friends before you moved on to become lovers. That makes for a lot stronger relationship." Tina let out a soft chuckle as Bobby's cheeks grew even redder. "Nicky and Leah like Alex a lot. They know about her nephew and what she did for her sister, most of the family do. Can you image me or Maria managing to keep that to ourselves?"

Bobby shook his head but didn't speak as Tina continued.

"Anyways, as I said they like Alex a lot. They came by for a visit this morning while Sammi was in school. They told us Lil had been over to see them and told them you could be little Sammi's daddy, or possibly it could be the man who was murdered, and that there had never been any chance of it being that med student she'd been living with. They were actually quite relieved at the idea of Sammi being yours. At least they know you. If this Michael, who was murdered, had turned out to be the father then who knows what sort of relatives might have come out of the woodwork seeking custody of Sammi." Tina once again squeezed his knee reassuringly. "They've met Alex and they like her, very much indeed. They feel she's the kind of woman who puts family first, who would always at least try to do what was best for a child. We told them that they're right. Family is very important to Alex. I hope we didn't overstep any bounds?"

Tina was relieved when Bobby's eyes met hers. She could see his gratitude, that they had spoken in his and Alex's favour to Nick and Leah, and also that some of his obvious tension and worry had eased a little.

"So … so they're expecting me to file for custody?" Bobby still sounded nervous, which was appropriate as that was exactly how he was feeling.

"I think it's fairly safe to say they're hoping the two of you will want Sammi to live with you, yes." Sal nodded, as Tina spoke.

"And they … they're not planning to counter-sue?"

"Bobby, much as they love Sammi, and lord knows they do love that child, Leah's not much younger than I am and Nicky has quite a few years on me. The last thing they really need is a young child living with them full time. It's been getting harder for them these past few months, with Lil changing her weekend plans constantly and leaving them to look after Sammi more and more often, giving them just an overnight break on Sundays before bringing her back on Monday mornings. They wish they could manage to take her full time and I think, had they been a few years younger, they might even have filed for custody themselves some time ago. As things stand, you need to go and visit them, talk to them about the situation and work out what's going to work for everyone. With you living so close Sammi will still be attending the same school, seeing her friends and cousins regularly, just as she always has. It's going to be less of an upheaval for the child than moving to Manhattan if her mother decided to take her on full time. Not that that's ever likely to happen, of course." The slightly angry edge to Tina's voice at this last comment was not lost on Bobby.

"You'd rather Sammi was with her mother?" Bobby found himself asking, uncertain where the question had come from and even less certain he wanted to know the answer.

"I'd rather Lil had been a proper mother to Sammi from the day that baby was born." Tina no longer tried to hide her anger and disappointment regarding her niece. "That girl has been pampered, as much as her parents could manage and sometimes more than they could manage, if you know what I mean, her entire life. She should have enough love to go around an entire houseful of children. Instead all she can think about is self, self, self. 'Did her pregnancy ruin her figure?' 'Did having a child put men off having a relationship with her?' As if she ever kept Sammi around her long enough for any man she was involved with to realise she had a child. As if she ever had any real relationships with men. What do you kids refer to them as, booty calls? That's what most of her relationships with men have been, even when she was still just a kid herself. She has run her parents ragged since the day she was born. The only good thing to ever come out of Lil was Sammi. That child may be an inconvenience to her mother most of the time but to her grandparents she is their greatest blessing. An unexpected compensation for what they see as their failure with Lil. Yet they have the good sense to see Sammi as her own person and not a second chance to get things right with Lil."

Tina looked Bobby straight in the eye. "You already know that Sal and I will support you and Alex in any way we can, including looking after your baby and Sammi when you need to work. I think Leah and Nicky would like to continue looking after Sammi some of the time, but they need to start acting more like grandparents and less like parents. They want to be involved in her life, not be the centre of it. They love her more than anything in this world and that they feel they can trust you with her says a lot, Bobby. I don't think you and Alex will let them down."

* * *

**31 August 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn, New York**

Alex heard Bobby opening the front door of the apartment.

"You're safe, the coast's clear." She called from the kitchen where she was rummaging through the freezer.

"Hi," Bobby dropped a kiss on the back of her neck as he came up behind her. "What are you looking for?"

"Ice-cream. I really need ice-cream right now. Unless you happen to have brought me some Skittles?" She asked hopefully, still shifting the contents of the freezer around.

"Okay, what'd Beth say this time to send you on a sugar binge?"

Alex turned around, hands of hips and glared up at Bobby. Beth had run out of the apartment without giving Alex chance to respond to what she had said. Alex was feeling angry and frustrated with her sister and right now there was only one target to let that anger and frustration loose on, no matter how undeserving of such treatment he might be.

"Well, apparently she's been thinking about having another baby. Or, to be more precise, about me having another baby for her. Oh and she's jealous about me having such a perfect life … I got into the academy and have a wonderful career, she failed the psych evaluation … forget I had to walk street corners for five years in vice, dressed in less than I'd normally wear to the beach, just to make detective first grade and get a crack at Major Case … it seems I've fallen on my feet moving in here with you, it doesn't seem to matter that I've spent the last six years paying a mortgage on my own to keep a roof over my head, I'm just lucky to have a nice, spacious apartment to bring my baby home to instead of being stuck in a two-bed round the corner from my parent's house … thank god she doesn't know this place is rent-free, can you imagine what she'd have to say about that!" Alex paused for breath but when Bobby looked as if he was going to speak, she held up one hand.

"Oh no, don't you start making excuses for her, you haven't heard everything yet. Apparently, I'm the lucky one in the family, I'm the one who makes Dad proud all the time, I'm the one who gets to do what I want, when I want. It seems one of my father's proudest moments wasn't when I made detective but when I married the academy's golden boy. Of course, that's just the way Beth tells it but she sure did sound convinced. Lucky, was it lucky when my husband got killed on the job when we'd been married for only three years? I'm lucky that I carried a child I knew I'd never be able to call my own? I have to agree with her on one thing I did get lucky with …" Alex paused again, her voice finally softening, "… I got lucky when I fell in love with my partner. He is, without a doubt, the best thing that ever happened to me."

"Even with everything that's happened the past few days? And the aggravation between you, Beth and Junior?" Bobby reached out and gently brushed the tips of his fingers down the side of her neck.

"Even with everything that's happened the past few days. None of this trouble is of your making, either with my brother and sister, or with Lil. You cannot be held responsible for other people's decision and opinions." Alex stepped forward wrapping her arms around Bobby's waist.

"Still need that sugar fix?" Bobby spoke softly into her hair.

"No but I guess we should eat something, right?"

"Right." He reached past her, closing the freezer and opening the refrigerator. "How about chicken and mushrooms with noodles?"

Alex nodded, knowing that they would have a proper discussion about what Beth had said at some point during the coming evening and that she'd also find out where he'd been whilst Beth was visiting. They also needed to talk about how they were going to approach Nicky and Leah about the custody situation. She sighed softly and ducked out from between Bobby and the fridge.

"I think I'll grab a shower while you make dinner." She said, heading towards the door.

"Okay, babe." Bobby said, distractedly, grabbing ingredients and laying them on the worktop, his mind only slightly on the task at hand and mostly on the discussion he knew he and Alex would be having after they'd eaten.

* * *

**1 September 2004 – Apartment of Liliana Giovaissi, Manhattan, New York**

Lil woke with a start . Her mouth was dry and her head was pounding. She glanced at her watch, wondering how it had gotten to be almost two in the morning. She shuddered as she realised she must have passed out in front of the social worker. That was definitely not going to make a good impression but she figured the woman would understand. With all the stress she'd been under the past few weeks; first with Michael making a nuisance of himself, then getting arrested because of him, now having to go through all this nonsense over Sammi; well anyone would need a drink or two after all that. Lil looked at the glass on the table beside the chaise she still reclined on.

'_Oh well, waste not want not, Lil._' She thought to herself as she sat up and lifted the glass to her lips, draining it of the warm combination of vodka and orange juice.

She set the glass back down on the table for a second, then changed her mind, picking it up again she made her way into the kitchen. She fixed herself a fresh glass and took it with her through to the bedroom, draining the glass again in the few moments it took for sleep to reclaim her.

* * *


	19. Chapter 19

Disclaimer: Sadly - not mine.

* * *

**1 September 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn, New York**

Alex Eames woke feeling sick, something she was rapidly becoming used to, and darted out of bed and into the bathroom.

'_Morning sickness, I somehow forgot how much I hate morning sickness._' She thought as she retched over the toilet bowl.

Bobby Goren rolled over, still more asleep than awake, reaching across the bed and seeking the warmth of his lover's body. When his arm came down on nothing but a warm patch of sheet he instantly came fully awake. Hearing Alex in the bathroom he climbed out of bed and made his way across the room. The bathroom door stood open, revealing a miserable looking Alex, knelt beside the toilet shivering and throwing up. He knelt down behind her, pressing his warm body against her shivering back, trying to warm her as he gently pulled her hair back out of her face.

"Were you really this bad last time?" He hadn't been around during early mornings when Alex had been pregnant with her nephew but he was pretty sure she hadn't suffered this badly from morning sickness before.

Alex shook her head miserably, grabbing some toilet tissue to wipe her mouth. "Not like this." She managed to croak out, before starting to retch again.

"Maybe we should call the doctor and mention it?" Bobby couldn't help worrying about how Alex was responding to this pregnancy. All her reactions to it; morning sickness, mood swings, food cravings; seemed to be far more intense than in her previous pregnancy.

Finally feeling her stomach settling a little, Alex nodded, still hunched over the toilet. "Yeah, maybe you're right. I don't remember it being this bad last time. I think I can get up now."

Bobby helped her to her feet. "Do you think we should book an appointment?"

Alex shook her head, moving to the sink and grabbing her toothbrush. "No, I'll just call her and check things out. If she's concerned, she'll want to see me anyway. If this is just a normal variation in response to the pregnancy, then I'll just have to learn to live with it and we can both stop worrying."

"Okay, I can go with that but you do realise I'm not really likely to stop worrying until we're in the hospital and you're lying in a bed with our baby safely in your arms, right?" He met her eyes in the mirror.

She smiled softly at him, shook her head slightly and rolled her eyes in a way that told him that was exactly what she expected of him, before she let out a slightly exasperated sigh.

"I guess you'll be wanting your one cup of coffee?"

"Yeah, but could I have just a little extra sugar in it this morning?"

He waited until he was at the bathroom door before replying, enabling him to make a quick escape. "Sure, just so long as you don't actually need any room in the cup for the coffee."

The sound of a toothpaste tube hitting the doorframe, as he headed across the bedroom, was not a great surprise.

* * *

**1 September 2004 – Apartment of Liliana Giovaissi, Manhattan, New York**

Lil was woken by someone knocking at her apartment door. She stumbled out of her bedroom and managed to get to the door without knocking anything over, no mean feat considering the way she was staggering.

"Ms Giovaissi, I'm so glad to see you're alright." Helena MacLean said as Lil finally opened the door.

The social worker had tried calling Lil that morning and gotten no answer. She had been stood there knocking for almost five minutes and had been on the verge of calling the police to gain entry when she'd heard Lil making her way to the door.

"Oh, good morning, Mrs McCloud." Lil mumbled, pushing her hair back out of her face.

She looked a complete mess, still dressed in her clothes from the night before which she had slept in. Smudged make-up covered her face and her hair seemed to be going in every possible direction.

"MacLean, my name is MacLean, dear." Helena managed to keep her tone professional. '_Does anything get through to this woman?_' she found herself thinking, her inner voice far more exasperated than she would ever give voice to in front of a 'client'.

"So, what can I do for you today, Mrs MacLean?" Lil's tone was impatient. She needed a shower and something to eat, some coffee with maybe just a little splash of something stronger, purely medicinal of course to take the edge off the hangover that was currently pounding its way through her head and tying her stomach in knots.

"I have a meeting scheduled for early this afternoon with your parents, Mr Goren and Miss Eames. I was hoping you would be able to attend?" Helena's tone wasn't actually very hopeful.

* * *

Helena had yet to meet Sammi's father and his fiancée but from what she'd gathered from people she'd spoken to and the paperwork provided to her they seemed like a hardworking, stable couple. Obviously they felt a need to help other people, why else would they both have become police officers, and they must be good at what they did to both be serving with the Major Case Squad. She had received a short but succinct report from their squad commander, Captain James Deakins, via email that morning. The man obviously thought very highly of his detectives and there was a definite note of personal affection mixed in with the professional satisfaction and deep respect.

She had received telephone messages from several members of Lil's extended family, offering to meet with her to give her background on both Lil and Bobby. Most of the messages had intimated that the person calling would be offering their support to Sammi's father rather than her mother. She had been somewhat surprised to receive a call that morning from Mr John Eames, stating in no uncertain terms that he and his wife would be offering whatever support Alex and Bobby needed, including arrangements for childcare when the couple got called in at unsociable hours. He'd pointed out that he and his wife could be at Bobby's apartment within half an hour in nighttime traffic, meaning Sammi wouldn't even need to be woken in the night. Alex Eames' parents were willing, indeed happy, to throw their full support between the couple, both in the custody dispute itself and in acting as additional grandparents to Sammi.

Even more surprising had been the phone call she had received just before she'd left her office that morning to find out what was going on with Lil. She hadn't heard from Chris Hughes since she'd returned to fieldwork after being seconded, as the senior field worker in her section, to help brief the software developer with regard to the new database the department were putting in place. She had taken to the younger man instantly and they had worked together for a total of almost two months, ironing out the glitches in the program until it ran perfectly, allowing cross-referencing and multi-level access in exactly the way that would make it most efficient for the 'front-line troops' as Helena tended to think of herself and the other social workers who actually went out and handled the children and parents, as opposed to the higher-up, management types who had helped develop the previous, difficult to use, database. During the course of the two months they'd worked together, Chris had opened up to Helena about his own childhood and how his parents had simply left home when he was eighteen, not bothering to even come back and visit more than once every few years.

When Helena had answered her phone and heard Chris's name, she had at first thought someone had found a problem with the database, which had now been working wonderfully for more than five years. When he had gotten on the line with her, asking her if she could find out who was handling a particular case for him, she had been stunned to discover that he not only knew Bobby and Alex but had been friends with Bobby since childhood and that they were still close, on top of that he also knew Lil and Sammi, although not as well. They had spoken for almost thirty minutes, culminating in Chris saying that if anyone deserved a second chance when it came to having a decent parent in their life it was Sammi and that, in his opinion, Bobby and Alex would do their best by the child.

Comparing that with the complete lack of support from anyone at all being offered to Lil, Helena could almost feel sorry for Sammi's mother. Almost but not quite, given what she had seen of the woman so far.

* * *

Lil stared at the social worker, trying to figure out what was being said.

"A meeting, with my parents?" Lil muttered.

"Yes." Helena nodded, wishing that the younger woman would at least let her into the apartment rather than having this discussion on the doorstep.

"Bobby's gonna be there?" Lil's tone had now become slightly more interested and there was just a slight hint of hopefulness to it that almost made Helena wince.

"Yes, Mr Goren will be there, as will Miss Eames." Helena wanted that point to be perfectly clear to Lil that Bobby's fiancée would also be at the meeting. She was still having difficulty in understanding Lil's attitude of immense interest towards her child's father, when she showed so little interest in the child herself.

"Well, I suppose I'll just have to put up with that, won't I." Lil did nothing to attempt to disguise her irritation at the mention of Eames. "What time is the meeting and where?"

"Your parents home, at one-thirty. I will be there as well, so will Sammi. Your parents want to introduce her properly to her father." Helena looked for some sort of emotional response from Lil to that snippet of information. She could detect none.

"Yes, yes, I suppose that's a good idea. I … I'll be there. Did you say one o'clock?" By now Lil's head was pounding so hard she was having trouble keeping her eyes from closing against the dim light coming from the hallway.

"One-thirty, Ms Giovaissi. Would you like me to write it down? So you have a note of where and when the meeting is to take place." There was just a slight edge of sarcasm in Helena's voice, but it was completely lost on Lil.

"Yes, thank you, that would be a great help. I think I may have picked up some kind of virus whilst I was in police custody. Horrible place, simply horrible." Lil muttered, trying to excuse her very obvious symptoms. She seemed to forget the social worker had been in her apartment the previous evening when she had passed out drunk.

"Yes, I'm sure that must be it. I hope to see you at your parents' home this afternoon." With that the social worker handed Lil a quickly scrawled note of the time the meeting was to take place, over the words 'Your Mom & Dad's place', then turned without further ado and left Lil standing in her doorway, grasping the note in her hand and trying very hard not to throw up.

* * *

**1 September 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn, New York**

Alex sat snuggled up against Bobby on the couch, tears running down her cheeks. They'd just finished speaking with her doctor.

"This is ridiculous. She can't be right." Alex muttered, trying to wipe the tears from her face ineffectually, as more just kept replacing them.

"Alex, sweetheart, I don't think your doctor would say something like that unless she was pretty convinced about it." He pulled her into his lap as he spoke, hugging her gently to his chest.

"But she could be wrong, she said we won't know until after the scan."

"For certain, won't know for certain. She sounded pretty sure of herself to me."

"Stop grinning, Goren."

"I can't help it." He kissed her, despite her half-hearted attempt to get away from him.

"It won't be confirmed for another month."

He kissed her again. "We're having twins." He mumbled against her lips before deepening the kiss.

* * *


	20. Chapter 20

Disclaimer: Not mine.

A/N: The next few chapters will be coming thick and fast. They cover the meeting between Sammi, her grandparents, the social worker, Alex, Bobby and Lil. There was simply too much to make a single chapter, so I had to split it down. Hope you enjoy. :o)

* * *

**1 September 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn, New York**

"Do we really have to go into work this morning?" Alex whined, wrapping herself more tightly around Bobby, who was trying to get out of bed for the second time that morning.

The couple had 'celebrated' the news that the doctor believed Alex's extreme reaction to this pregnancy was most likely a result of her carrying twins by returning to bed, where Bobby had done his best to take Alex's mind off both her morning sickness and the shock of the doctor's conclusion. He had succeeded admirably, to the point where Alex was now of the opinion they should simply 'throw a sickie' and spend the rest of the morning in bed together.

It was Bobby's turn to sigh in exasperation. He rolled over to face her, wrapping his long arms around her.

"Deakins is cutting us a lot of slack, sweetheart. Much as I would rather spend my time here with you, just the two of us rather than having to go to work this morning, and then the meeting with the social worker and the others this afternoon, we both know we have to go in. Remember, you did have to walk street corners for five years to make it to Major Case. You wouldn't want to give anyone an excuse to send you back out there with me playing your pimp would you?" He teased her about one of her comments from the previous evening, when she'd been filling him in regarding Beth's visit.

"Somehow I don't think another stint in Vice is really on the cards, especially with two of your babies about to ruin my figure, at least for a few months." Alex actually managed to pout, despite the fact that she wasn't in the least worried about losing her figure and would probably have turned in her badge rather than go back to Vice.

"You are beautiful." He kissed her softly, then cupped her face in one large hand. "You are the most beautiful woman I've ever known and nothing is going to change that."

"Hmmm, keep saying things like that, Bobby, and we're definitely not going to make it into work this morning." She returned his kiss, pressing her body against his.

After a moment Bobby pulled back, gently breaking their kiss. "Alex, we can't."

She sighed, unwinding herself from around him and flopping back onto the bed. "I know … I know. You go make me my coffee, as I never did get it last time we got up and I'll grab a shower before we're so late for work that Deakins fires both our asses."

* * *

**1 September 2004 – Major Case Squad, One Police Plaza, New York**

Jimmy Deakins looked out of his office for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. Usually Goren and Eames were at their desks by eight o'clock at the latest, it was now fast approaching nine and there was still no sign of either of them. He hadn't heard from them since the previous evening, when Goren had called him to say they'd need some personal time that afternoon for a meeting regarding the custody suit. It was definitely not like his detectives to be clocking in at the 'official' start time, especially if they were going to be having a short workday to begin with.

He looked back down at the reports on his desk, trying to concentrate but having difficulty doing so. Hearing the elevator arriving again, he looked up once more, feeling a sense of relief as Eames walked into the bullpen, closely followed by her partner. He stood and walked over to his office door.

"Goren, Eames, my office, now." He called out, managing not to sound as though he'd spent the last hour worrying about where his detectives were.

As Goren closed the door behind them, Deakins perched on the edge of his desk. "Don't look so worried, Bobby, I just didn't want anyone overhearing what I had to say."

"Captain?" Eames managed to pack an entire question into one word.

"I had an email waiting for me from Child Protection Services when I came in this morning. Just wanted to let you know I'd replied to it, giving them a brief professional history, plus a personal endorsement of the two of you. With you having the first meeting with the social worker this afternoon I figured it was best to get something back to them as quickly as possible." His tone was one of gentle reassurance.

"Thank you, Sir." At least some of the more obvious tension had now left Goren's body.

"Yes, thanks, Captain." Eames echoed the sentiment.

"Okay, I've handed your burglary off to Jeffries and Sinclair, that leaves the two of you working just the double homicide. I know that case is going slow and we're also less likely to have the major on our backs about it, so there shouldn't be any problem with taking time for meetings and hearings." He noticed the glances Goren kept throwing at Eames. "There any developments I should know about?"

"Not relating to the case, no." Eames shook her head, then looked her captain in the eyes. "I spoke to my doctor this morning. My symptoms have been more severe so far with this pregnancy and I was getting a little worried about it."

'_Oh god, don't let there be anything wrong with the baby._' Deakins thought. "And what did the doctor have to say?"

"Well, erm, you know my family history. There are twins in both my parents' families. She thinks that's the most likely explanation. Two babies, so double the hormones, so double the physical symptoms." Eames replied.

"She thinks you're carrying twins?" Deakins couldn't help grinning.

"Yeah, twins." Eames muttered, throwing a glare at Goren.

"Hey, you can't blame me. No twins in my family so far as I know." He was grinning again.

"I presume you've spoken to your folks about this?" Deakins asked Eames.

"I called them this morning before we came in. Mom's absolutely over the moon, won't listen to the fact that it won't be confirmed until after I have a scan in a month, and is starting in on knitting, one set plain white, one with yellow trim. Apparently my dear father couldn't stop laughing, said something about knowing the risks with the family record." Eames huffed as she finished speaking.

Apart from her own two sets of twin siblings, her father had identical twin sisters and her mother's family had a long history of fraternal twins. Johnny Eames had been right in his comment about her knowing the risks, amongst his grandchildren so far there were already two sets of twins, both identical, one set were the middle two of Junior's four kids, the other set were Tim's two children. Alex knew she really should have given the possibility more consideration before she'd started trying to get pregnant but the increased chance of having twins had simply never crossed her mind. She'd been more concerned about the fact she was going to have a child of her own, and excited at the prospect of having a child with Bobby, she hadn't given the prospect of conceiving twins a second thought.

Deakins didn't quite manage to suppress a snigger at the thought of his old friends' reactions to their daughter's news, which earned him a glare from Eames.

"Bobby's right Alex you can't blame him for this one." Deakins managed to squelch down his amusement and arrange his features into a businesslike mask of seriousness. "Now, how about a report on how this murder investigation is going?"

Bobby and Alex spent the next five minutes giving Deakins an update of their case, which as the captain had already observed was definitely going slow. Then the pair returned to their desks and the latest stack of phone records they needed to go through. The rest of the morning went quietly, allowing them to leave the office at noon to make their way back to Brooklyn for their meeting.

* * *

**1 September 2004 – ****Home of Nicky & Leah Giovaissi, Brooklyn, New York**

"Bobby, Alex, come in." Nicky Giovaissi opened his apartment door and stepped back welcoming the two detectives into his home. "Leah and Sammi will be back soon, but we thought it might be best if we had a little talk first."

"Hi, Uncle Nicky." Bobby greeted his daughter's grandfather, whom he had known since he was a teenager.

"Mr Giovaissi." Alex nodded, in greeting.

"You can either call me Nick or Nicky, Uncle Nicky if you like, although most of my nieces and nephews have dropped the 'uncle' by now." Nicky corrected Alex, smiling softly as he did so. Alex smiled in return, trying to hide her apprehension at the situation they all found themselves in.

Nicky showed Bobby and Alex through to the lounge, getting them settled comfortably on the couch.

"Do you want coffee?" Nicky asked, he couldn't help noticing that Bobby is fidgeting, obviously nervous about the meeting and probably the talk as well.

"Actually, Nick, could I just have water?" Alex replied, resting a hand on Bobby's knee, trying to calm his nerves a little.

"Sure, no problem. Bobby?"

"Coffee's fine, thanks Uncle Nicky."

By the time Nicky returned from the kitchen with a tray loaded with coffee fixings, and water for Alex, Bobby was up and pacing. Alex gave a slight shrug, he'd been on tenterhooks ever since they'd left the office and she knew there was no way he was going to be able to keep still for very long.

Nicky sat down opposite Alex and started pouring coffee for himself and Bobby.

"Uncle Nicky, has Lil given any explanation as to why she never said anything? You know, about Sammi and me?" Bobby was hoping that Lil might have been able to give her parents some sort of reasonable explanation for her behaviour.

"Not to made any sense, Bobby. She said she was afraid of how you might react but I can't believe you'd ever have given her any reason to be scared of you." The older man looked up at Bobby as he continued to pace.

"I … I don't think I ever did." Bobby shook his head, still bewildered at the idea of Lil having any reasonable excuse for keeping Sammi's paternity a secret for so long.

"I'm sure you didn't. Look, son, she's not making any sense when it comes to Sammi at the moment. If I'm honest she's never made a lot of sense when it comes to Sammi. Leah and I have just about given up hope of her ever being any sort of real mother to her child. It's been getting harder for the two of us recently. Since my diagnosis … I guess Sal and Tina will have told you about me having angina … well I've been having to slow down a little. Taking care of the baby so much of the time and worrying about what Lil's gonna do next hasn't been doing me much good and Leah's been worrying herself sick in case I have a real heart attack." Nicky paused, taking a sip of his coffee.

"Yeah, Uncle Sal told me about your scare. I'm sorry about all this. I mean it must be putting even more stress on you and Aunt Leah." Bobby came to a halt behind the couch where Alex was seated and she automatically handed him the coffee Nicky had poured for him.

"Actually, it's strange, Bobby, but I feel less stressed about this than I ever thought I would if Sammi's father ever 'came out of the woodwork'. At least now I know who her father is. I always had my doubts about Jeff, with the way he ran out of Lil so sudden. I mean he'd known for a few months about the baby and suddenly he just up and disappeared like that, something just seemed off about it. Lil claimed he'd gotten cold feet about the whole fatherhood deal but, I don't know, it just never quite set right with me. A guy doesn't hang around for the first four, five months a woman's pregnant and then change his mind, not if you ask me anyway. And the two of you had been together so soon before she had Jeff move in with her and yet he never mentioned you at all, as if he didn't even know about you. I guess I should have been asking questions a lot sooner but Lil was always so set on saying Jeff was Sammi's father. I don't know, maybe I coulda saved us all a whole heap of trouble if I'd said something sooner but you know how high-strung Lil can be and she's only gotten worse over the years. When Sammi started asking about who her father was a few months ago and Lil just blanked her on it … well I knew then that something was definitely very wrong. I know I should have come to you then, especially knowing what we know now, but I guess I didn't want to rock the boat any more than need be. I was just starting having the medical tests and Leah was worrying herself silly about my health and trying to take care of Sammi properly … well let's just say that getting into things about Sammi's father with Lil on top of everything else didn't really seem like a good idea. I'm sorry, Bobby, I shoulda said something sooner. Hell, I shoulda said something when the baby was born." Nick, who had been looking down at the table throughout most of the time he'd been talking looked up at Bobby.

"Can you forgive an old man for being too much of a coward to risk losing his granddaughter? I was never sure what Lil might do if I confronted her about it. Much as me and Leah did for her and the baby, there were times I thought she might just cut and run, taking the little one with her, if I tried to get the truth out of her about it."

Alex was stunned at the revelation that Nicky had suspected for years that Sammi might well be Bobby's child but, from what little she had seen of the man's daughter, she could easily understand why he had never chosen to confront her about the possibility. She could feel the tension in the air between the two men, as Bobby digested what his 'uncle' had said and Nick waited for Bobby to respond.

"I can understand … at least to a certain extent … why you never said anything, Uncle Nick." Bobby had now resumed pacing. "It's just so hard … I mean after all this time … finding out this way."

"There's nothing I can say to you, Bobby, except to say that I'm sorry. That doesn't make up for the time you've lost with Sammi, I know, but I am truly sorry."

Bobby finally sat back down beside Alex, taking her hand in his. "Uncle Nick, you aren't the one who should be having to apologise for this mess. It's Lil who's been in the wrong all this time. I don't hold any of this against you. You and Aunt Leah have always done the best you can for Sammi and I'm grateful for that. Now we need to figure out between us where we go from here."

Nick stared at Bobby, amazed that the younger man could overlook what he saw as his own cowardice in failing to confront his daughter.

"Nick, don't look so surprised." Alex squeezed Bobby's hand as she spoke, hoping to reassure both men, one with her words, the other with her unspoken gesture of support. "You've known Bobby a long time. You should know he's not the kind of man to hold a grudge. You couldn't know for sure that Lil was lying to you and your wife about Sammi's paternity. I haven't had a great many dealings with your daughter but from what I've seen I wouldn't say she's a particularly stable person. Confronting her, trying to catch her in the lie … well it could have made things a whole lot worse. Like you said yourself, she could have taken Sammi and run away. We see the messes people make of their lives in our line of work all the time, Nick, it's never easy when kids are involved. You made your best call, based on your judgement of the situation. You did what you felt you had to keep to Sammi safe."

"You mean you can see why I never said anything?" Nick looked from Bobby to Alex and back.

"I can." Alex nodded. "It can't have been easy for you. Juggling Lil's behaviour and Sammi's needs. Taking care of Sammi all this time. Never knowing when Lil might decide to simply drop the baby on you and your wife at a moment's notice. On top of that having to keep quiet about your suspicions as to who Sammi's father was. It's no wonder you have angina. It's a miracle you haven't had a major heart attack with the amount of pressure you must have been under all this time."

"Uncle Nick, honest I can let this go if you can. What matters now is making sure Sammi is properly taken care of. I know we spoke about me and Alex getting custody but we need to know how you and Aunt Leah really feel about Sammi living with us. I mean, you don't really know Alex."

Nick waved a hand, silencing Bobby. "You think I haven't been hearing about your partner all these years. If I had to listen to one story from Sal and Tina, I had to listen to a million."

Alex and Bobby both blushed.

"Look, Bobby, you're a good man. I always said you'd come good despite your father and I was right. Forgive me for saying this, and I know you shouldn't speak ill of the dead, but Bill Goren was a poor excuse for a father in anyone's book and don't ever get me started on what I thought of him as husband, let alone a man. But you, Bobby, you came good in spite of him. You do right by your mother, you try to help Frank out when you can, you never forget the people who cared about you when you were a kid. I know how you helped Tina out when Sal had that accident a few years back."

Alex looked quizzically at her partner. Bobby shrugged.

"It was nothing special, anyone would have done the same thing."

"Bobby, you took a month's leave from your job to help my sister and the boys run the restaurant while Sal was laid up with that broken ankle. That's not nothing special."

The conversation was interrupted by the ringing of the doorbell. Nick looked at the clock on the mantle.

"That'll be the social worker. I just want to say a couple more things before I let her in. First, so far as me and Leah are concerned, we'll back you and Alex all the way when it comes to getting custody of Sammi. My granddaughter deserves the best chance she can get at having a decent life and so far as we're concerned, that chance lies with the two of you." Nick looked Bobby straight in the eye as he spoke. "Second, if it comes down to losing Lil or losing Sammi because of this, well there is no choice. Lil has made her own decisions, the only good one she made was not having an abortion when she found out she was pregnant. We talked long and hard about it and there were a lot of tears shed over the past couple of night about this. We've already lost our daughter, the child we tried to raise isn't the woman we know now. We don't intend to lose our grandchild. Last, we haven't told Sammi yet about you being her father, we wanted to do it together, with you."

As Nick finished speaking, they all heard voices in the hall outside the apartment door.

* * *


	21. Chapter 21

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

**1 September 2004 – ****Home of Nicky & Leah Giovaissi, Brooklyn, New York**

"I'm sure Nick didn't mean to keep you waiting on the doorstep, Helena." Leah apologised, as she walked up the stairs from the street doorway with Sammi and the social worker.

"That's okay, Leah, really. I only just arrived a moment before you and Sammi got here." Helena smiled down at the child who was leading her up the stairs by her hand.

As Leah reached the top of the staircase the apartment door swung open.

"Poppy, Helena's here again." Sammi announced, seeing her grandfather standing at the top of the stairs.

"I can see that, Sammi. How was lunch with your aunts?"

"Tante Annie says I'm gonna be speaking French like a native before you know it. She says I'm gonna be as good at speaking French as I am at speaking Italian, and I already speak Italian as good as I speak English, so I guess I must be doing pretty good at speaking French." Sammi beamed up at grandfather, proud that her Aunt Annie was so pleased with her progress.

"That's wonderful, Bambina. We have some other visitors. You hang your coat up and take off your shoes and then you come on through to the lounge, okay?" Nick smiled down at his precocious grandchild.

"Okay, Poppy." Sammi let go of Helena's hand and carefully set about taking off her outdoor things.

"Nick, good to see you again." Helena smiled at Nick, as Leah took her coat from her.

"Helena, thank you for coming. I know this was a little short notice." Nick led the way through to the lounge, as Leah hung up her and Helena's coats and made sure Sammi was tidying her own things properly.

As Helena and Nick entered the lounge, Bobby and Alex stood up and turned to greet the social worker.

"Bobby Goren, Alex Eames, this is Helena MacLean, Sammi's social worker." Nick made the introductions.

"Mrs MacLean, good to meet you." Alex stepped around the couch, shaking the social worker's hand.

"Ms Eames, Mr Goren." Helena nodded to Bobby who now was standing behind Alex. "Please call me Helena. I've heard a great deal about both of you, some of it from rather surprising sources."

"It's Bobby and Alex, please." Helena was somewhat surprised at how softly Bobby spoke for such a large man. "If you don't mind me asking, what surprising sources?"

"Helena, would you like some coffee?" Nick topped up his own and Bobby's cups, then poured a cup for Helena as she nodded, sitting down in the chair Nick indicated.

"Thank you, Nick." The social worker took the proffered cup from Nick. "Actually, the most surprising call I've had regarding this case was from a computer consultant I worked with a few years ago, Chris Hughes. I understand you know each other, Bobby."

"Chris?" Alex queried.

"Yes, we worked together when he was called into establish a new database system for the department several years ago. We got along quite well. Very nice young man. Not the easiest of childhoods but he's certainly made the most of his talents. I understand he's due to go to Washington shortly, something about a new contract for the government." Helena was slightly surprised that Alex was the one to address her, whilst Bobby started to wander around the lounge.

"Yeah, he's gonna leave on Saturday, after the wedding." Alex replied.

"Wedding?" Helena asked.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't think. Bobby and I are getting married on Friday. Chris had managed to rearrange his time so that he can be home until after the wedding. Said he wasn't gonna miss the chance to embarrass Bobby on his wedding day." Alex grinned at her fiancé, as he set about examining the contents of a bookshelf.

"As if he ever misses an opportunity to embarrass me." Bobby threw an answering grin over his shoulder at Alex, then returned his attention to the books in front of him.

At that moment Leah and Sammi came into the lounge.

* * *

"Who's 'mbarrrassed?" Sammi piped up, looking around the room. "Hello, Bobby. Did someone do something wrong? Is Mommy in more trouble?" The little girl looked hard at the blond woman seated on her grandparents' couch. "I 'member you. You were at Cousin Val's wedding."

"That's right, I was there with Bobby. I'm his police partner and fiancée, Alex. I don't think we were actually introduced though." Alex held out her hand to the little girl. "Alexandra Eames, pleased to meet you. My friends call me Alex"

Sammi giggled, tilting her head to one side a little. "How do you do, Alex. I'm Samantha Francesca Giovaissi. My friends call me Sammi." Sammi shook Alex's hand as firmly as she could manage, then climbed up into her grandfather's lap.

Leah helped herself to a coffee, sitting down beside Alex and shaking her head slightly at Sammi's performance.

"That's a very pretty name, Sammi." Alex didn't miss the shift in Bobby's posture when Sammi gave her full name.

"My Mommy told me that Samantha was for my Uncle Sam and Francesca was for my Grandma, but I never understood that 'cos Nana's called Leah. At least that's what most people call her and I've never heard anyone call her Francesca." Sammi looked from Alex to her grandmother.

"Sammi dear, has your Mommy ever told you anything about your father?" Helena broached the question in a gentle tone.

Bobby had now wandered back across the room and was standing behind Alex once more. He watched Sammi and the social worker carefully.

Sammi shook her head. "No. When I asked her about why I didn't have a daddy like my cousins have she said that I was like Michelle and Karl at school. They just have a Mommy, like me. Simon, he just has his Daddy, his Mommy died when he was born."

"Do you remember when a man came and took a sample from inside your cheek?" Helena asked.

Sammi's eyes lit up. "You mean Mac? I liked him, he was funny. His friend Stella was pretty and she was really nice to me." Sammi smiled as she recalled the visit from to two CSIs.

"That's right Detectives Mac Taylor and Stella Bonasera came to see you, didn't they?" Helena smiled as Sammi nodded. "Well they needed that sample so that they could find out who your daddy is."

Sammi looked up at her grandfather, then back at Helena. Her eyes flashed to her grandmother, then settled on Alex for a second. Slowly Sammi raised her eyes to Bobby. Sammi shook her head, tears coming to her eyes. She jumped down from her grandfather's lap and darted out of the room before any of the adults could react.

* * *

"Sammi, please unlock the door." Leah stood outside the bathroom, trying to coax her granddaughter to open the door.

"No, don't wanna." Sammi's voice was tearful and heartbreaking to hear.

"Mia bella, come on, open up." Nick's voice was gentle as he tried to persuade the obviously upset child to unlock the door.

Sammi had headed for the one room in the apartment she knew she could actually lock herself into. There were now five concerned adults standing outside the bathroom, listening helplessly to the sobs coming from the other side of the door.

"No." Sammi yelled. There was a slapping sound from inside the bathroom.

"What was that?" Alex looked at Leah.

"She doesn't often have a tantrum, but when she does she tends to throw things. That sounded like she was throwing her bath toys around." Leah explained, then tried again to reason with her granddaughter. "Sammi, please bambina, there's nothing to be scared about."

"Not scared. I don't have a daddy. Mommy said so!" The last word came out as an anguished wail.

Alex looked up at Bobby, who was leaning against the wall beside the bathroom door. It was obvious to Alex that he was having trouble containing his emotions. Neither of them had expected that Sammi would simply fall into her father's arms and accept the situation but the little girl locking herself in the bathroom and refusing to come out wasn't a scenario that had occurred to them.

"Sammi, it's Bobby. Could you please open the door? Your Nana and Poppy are getting worried about you and Helena and I really do need to speak to you properly about this." There was no condescension in Bobby's voice as he spoke.

"Mommy said I don't have a Daddy. You go away." More sobbing could clearly be heard coming from the bathroom.

Bobby looked helplessly at Nick.

"Helena, I hope you don't take this the wrong way, but I do know my granddaughter." Nick rapped sharply on the door in front of them. "Samantha Giovaissi, you open this door now young lady. Do not make me start counting."

"No!" Yelled Sammi.

"One!" Yelled Nick in response.

"Won't open it. I don't have a Daddy, Mommy said so!" Hollered Sammi from within the bathroom, her cries echoing in the small room.

"Two! Open this door, or I start throwing out toys, starting with Elmo." Bellowed Nick, ignoring the child's words.

Bobby cringed at the heartbroken wail from beyond the door.

"Last chance, Sammi. Open this door before I get to three or you know what's gonna happen." Nick's face was stricken but his voice gave no hint that he was anything but deadly serious.

Before Nick had the chance to say 'Three', there was a faint click and the door opened. A small tearstained face peeked around the edge of the door.

"Nana!" Sammi launched herself out of the bathroom and into her grandmother's waiting arms. "Don't let Poppy throw Elmo 'way."

"Shush, mia bella, it's okay. Poppy didn't even go to your room, see." Leah turned slightly so that Sammi was looking over her shoulder at her grandfather.

Helena looked at Sammi's stricken face, then at Leah and Nick. "Perhaps we should give you a little while." The social worker turned to Bobby and Alex. "Is there somewhere we could go to talk?"

"My apartment is only about five minutes away." Bobby suggested.

"That sounds ideal." She turned back to Nick. "How about we give you an hour or so to get Sammi calmed down? Then Bobby, Alex and I will be back?"

Nick nodded, now standing beside his wife and rubbing his sobbing granddaughter's back.

"Thanks, Helena. I'll call Bobby if there's any more problems." Nick met the younger man's eyes, seeing the pain clearly written there. "Don't worry, Bobby. We'll get this worked out."

Sammi burrowed her face more firmly into her grandmother's neck, still sobbing. "Shush, baby. It's going to be alright. Everything is going to be alright." Leah tried to sooth her granddaughter, hoping she wasn't lying to the child.

* * *

**1 September 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn, New York**

Alex showed Helena through to the lounge, while Bobby headed into the kitchen putting the kettle on to make them some tea.

"Please, make yourself comfortable." Alex waved a hand, indicating that Helena should take a seat.

Helena settled herself in one of the armchairs, Alex sitting down on the couch opposite.

"Well, I guess that couldn't have gone much worse." Alex said, looking questioningly at Helena.

"Oh, don't you believe it, Alex. I've seen worse reactions to such life-changing news. For a child her age, Sammi's response was completely understandable. Particularly as her mother has made it so clear to her that her father was never going to be part of her life." Helena smiled reassuringly at the younger woman. "I don't suppose Nick mentioned why Lil wasn't there?"

"We hadn't gotten to that particular point, when you arrived." Alex had actually been a little relieved that Lil hadn't put in an appearance before they'd left Nick and Leah's apartment.

Helena shook her head sadly. "I can't say I'm exactly surprised that she was late for the meeting. Maybe she'll have arrived by the time we get back there. She might even be able to help settle Sammi down." Helena didn't sound particularly convinced by her own words.

"We can but hope, right?" Alex quirked an eyebrow at the social worker. "Look, I know you have to remain impartial and professional. Believe me with our line of work, I understand that, but when it comes to Lil and the way she's treated Bobby and Sammi I can't be detached."

"This isn't a professional situation for you, Alex. I wouldn't expect you to remain detached. Why don't you tell me how you feel about all this? I mean, it can't be easy for you." Helena found herself given a much easier opening than she had anticipated into what was obviously going to be a difficult discussion.

"Easy, no anything but easy. To be honest when Lil first claimed that Bobby was Sammi's father my immediate reaction was denial." Alex had told Bobby she intended to be completely honest and open with the social worker, figuring that was the best course of action. Bobby had agreed with her, saying he'd try his best to do the same. "I mean, there I was planning my wedding to a man I'm completely in love with and all of a sudden I'm faced with the very real possibility that he's had a child with someone else. If I'd known about Sammi from the start, that wouldn't have been a problem but having to face the prospect out of the blue like this, somehow it's different. You know what I mean?"

Helena nodded. "I can see how it could change your perspective regarding getting married, but you're obviously going ahead with your plans?" Helena thought of Alex's comment about Chris Hughes putting off his business trip so he'd be home for her and Bobby's wedding.

"Not exactly going ahead with our plans. We've moved the wedding forward." Alex paused, as Bobby came into the lounge, setting the tea tray on the table in front of the couch and then sitting down beside her.

"Moved the wedding forward? May I ask why?" Helena looked from Alex to Bobby and back again.

"I didn't want to wait until November to marry her." Bobby answered Helena's question.

"You were planning to get married in November and now you're getting married this week?" Helena wanted to clarify the situation.

"Yeah." Bobby nodded, pouring them each a cup of tea and passing one to Helena. "Look, this whole situation with Lil is a bit of a mess. I never had even the slightest indication that Sammi was my child until this last weekend. I'm glad Lil was cleared regarding the homicide and that Sammi doesn't have to face the prospect of her mother going to prison. I haven't had the chance to speak to Lil about why she never told me about Sammi. Now Sammi seems to think having a father in her life is possibly the worst thing that could happen to her. I don't know what I can do to make everything right. The one thing I do know I can get right is marrying Alex. She's the best thing that's ever happened to me and I'm not about to mess that up. I wasn't willing to wait any longer to make her my wife, I couldn't wait until November to become her husband."

Bobby's words came to a halt as he felt Alex's hand on his forearm.

"Calm down, Bobby." Alex's voice was gentle and laden with reassurance. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"Bobby, you did not create this situation. Lil did. All you can do now is offer Sammi as much love and support as you possibly can." Helena was somewhat taken aback at the way Bobby's words had tumbled out, he'd barely spoken since they'd been introduced at Nick and Leah's apartment.

"I would like to know if there is any underlying reason for the two of you deciding to move the wedding forward?" Helena had heard mention of Alex's pregnancy and wondered if the couple would be open with her about their news.

"One of the reasons is I'm pregnant." Alex stated simply. "That's the main reason. We didn't really expect that I'd fall pregnant so soon. Then … well I don't know if you heard about what happened at Tina Santorini's birthday party … there was a bit of a scene with Lil … and well I guess Bobby just kinda …" Alex's words were cut off by Bobby.

"I realised, yet again, exactly what an amazing woman Alex is and asked her to move the wedding forward. She told Lil, in no uncertain terms, what she thought of her and how she'd acted. I'm not taking the chance on her coming to her senses and realising exactly what she's getting herself into by marrying me." This time Alex cut Bobby off.

"Oh, believe me, Goren, I know what I'm getting. I'm getting a wonderful man who I love. A man who's going to be a fantastic father to all our children, Sammi included." She squeezed his arm. "I'm not about to run out of you, Bobby, no matter what Lil throws at us."

"You count Sammi amongst your children already, Alex?" Helena's surprise was obvious.

"Sammi is Bobby's daughter. Whether we get custody or not, that isn't going to change. That means she's a part of my family, whether she lives with us, her grandparents or her mother. It may take a while to build a relationship with her, for both me and Bobby, but we're not about to walk away from her. How could we?" Alex shrugged, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"You're willing to settle for visitation and having to deal with Lil, even with the stress it's bound to put you under, especially during your own pregnancy?"

"If we must." Alex's tone was firm. There wasn't the slightest trace of doubt in her voice. "I'm healthy. There're no additional risk factors with my pregnancy, beyond those usually associated with multiple pregnancy. I'm not about to step away and let Lil continue to ruin Sammi's life. Every child deserves to have a stable home life. I was lucky, I had a good childhood. I have parents who are willing to support us. We have plenty of friends, many of them Sammi's own family, who are willing to help during the transition, while Sammi gets used to the idea that Bobby is actually her father."

Alex stopped suddenly, seeing the question in Helena's eyes. "I'm sorry. Am I getting ahead of myself here?"

"You mentioned risks associated with multiple pregnancy?" Helena raised an eyebrow in question.

"Oh, yeah, as of this morning, we may well be expecting twins." Alex sounded almost apologetic, as if she were worried this might weaken their position regarding custody of Sammi.

"As of this morning? And yet, you were still willing to go ahead with our meeting?" Helena found herself more surprised by the moment at this woman's resilience. She really couldn't imagine dealing with so many shocks in such a short period of time. "Let me see if I've got my timeline right here, from what I've been told. You heard on Saturday that your fiancé may well have a child by another woman, but had never been told about that child being his, even though he'd met the child in question several times through contact with her family, who are friends of his. You subsequently discovered you were pregnant. You've reorganised your wedding to better accommodate your pregnancy and, I have to presume, better your position in the custody battle you find yourself in the middle of. Then, this morning, you discover you may be carrying twins?"

"I guess it has been kinda busy the past few days, when you put it like that." Alex shrugged slightly.

"Is there another way to put it? And on top of all that, you've been carrying out your duties as a police officer, ensuring that your parents are kept abreast of your situation and managed to discuss the situation with certain, important, members of Sammi's family?" Helena made no attempt to disguise the astonishment in her voice at Alex's nonchalant response.

"How did you know we'd spoken to my parents about all this?" Now it was Alex's turn to be surprised.

"Well I have had a call from your father." The social worker smiled her reassurance as she continued to speak. "As well as from several members of Nick and Leah's extended family, a number of your friends, not least of them Chris. There was also a very prompt response from your captain to my request for information regarding the two of you. I also received a call from an ADA Ronald Carver just before I left the office to attend our meeting." Helena didn't miss the quick glance that the couple shared at this nugget of information.

"Carver called you?" Bobby's head tilted to the side as he spoke and Helena was instantly reminded of Sammi.

"Mr Carver did, indeed, call me. Apparently he wanted to make it clear to me that the two of you will, if necessary, have significant legal backing should the matter become any more complicated. He also informed me that the DA's office may well be looking at bringing charges against Miss Giovaissi on the grounds of child endangerment, should she attempt to withdraw Sammi from her grandparents' care. It seems the two of you have friends in high places." Although Helena managed to maintain her professional façade, there was just a hint of underlying surprise to be heard in her voice.

Bobby shifted slightly uncomfortably and looked at Alex. "Did you know about this?"

"I'm guessing the captain must have said something to him." Alex shook her head, she'd had no idea that Carver knew anything about the custody suit. They hadn't had any dealings with the ADA since the previous week.

"Well, by whatever means Mr Carver knows what's going on, he was very clear regarding his opinion of the two of you. It seems, much as he finds himself occasionally frustrated by your methods, you are the finest detectives he's ever worked with. Your first priority is always to protect the victim, your second priority is to discover the truth. Only when those objectives are fulfilled do you worry about bringing a prosecutable case before the court. It seems Mr Carver, after several years of working in conjunction with the two of you, is of the opinion that more police officers could do with taking a leaf out of your book when it comes to what's important. Apparently, and this doesn't surprise me although Mr Carver's opinion regarding it does, the majority of the detectives he works with feel that the likelihood of a successful prosecution is the most important aspect of any case they deal with. It is Mr Carver's stated opinion, and I'm quoting this from memory, that 'more detectives should worry about the victims first and their conviction rate second, maybe that way they'd all end up with as fine a record of closed cases as Goren and Eames. It certainly helps to get a conviction when the victims and their families feel they can not only trust the officers they are dealing with but that the officers involved actually care about what happens to them. It most definitely seems to bring the victims and their families greater closure at the end of a trial, to have been dealt with in such a sympathetic manner, as opposed to being ridden over roughshod, as some detectives tend to do in order to obtain their convictions'. It seems the gentleman is quite an admirer of you both." Helena sat back and let her words sink in.

Alex stared at the social worker for a moment, unable to formulate any kind of response.

"I … I guess … well it's just you've got to remember you're dealing with real people, who have suffered enough already. Making sure the guilty are punished is important, obviously but ensuring the innocent are protected … well, surely, that's why the department's motto is 'to protect and serve' … right?" Bobby made a mental note to call the ADA and thank him.

"I've always thought so myself, Bobby. You might be surprised at how many police officers seem to lose sight of that during their careers though." Helena looked more closely at the man before her. "Then again, maybe you wouldn't."

"No, I know how easy it is to become focussed on the prosecution, rather than the people involved. It can be difficult sometimes, keeping things balanced. I'm lucky, Eames and me, we usually feel the same way about these kinda things. It makes it easier to maintain our focus when we're working a case." Bobby didn't choose to elaborate regarding the fact that it was often Alex who had to pull him back from becoming too focussed on certain aspects during some of their tougher cases.

"Well, obviously the two of you take your responsibilities as police officers extremely seriously. May I ask how you intend to balance that dedication to your jobs with the needs of a young family?" Helena finally decided to get down to the 'nitty-gritty' of the conversation.

* * *


	22. Chapter 22

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

**1 September 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn, New York**

"Well, we know it isn't going to be as easy now was we had originally planned." Alex leaned forward slightly. "I mean, with Sammi being in pre-school already and the prospect of twins on the way, things are more complicated than when we were just talking childcare for a single baby."

Helena nodded, understandingly. "So what options have you discussed?"

"Well, my parents are both retired and already help out my sister with my nephew. He's a little over nine months old. During the day they're going to be looking after our baby, or babies, as well as Nathan. They've also offered to look after Sammi part of the time, to give her maternal grandparents a break at least, if Nick and Leah still want to look after Sammi during the days. On days when Sammi stays with them, Dad would drive over here to pick her up after lessons and then we'd pick her up from their house when we got off shift. When we're called in out of hours, well we know that's when things could be a little more complicated." Alex took a quick sip of her tea. "We're aware of the fact these arrangements could be less than ideal from your viewpoint but, well, here goes. My parents live in Queens, which is fine for during the day but obviously may not work so well if we're called in at night. Luckily, Bobby has a number of good friends who live nearby. Sal and Tina Santorini, that's Leah and Nick's brother and sister, have offered their help with looking after the children at night. Their apartment is only a few minutes away. They're more than happy, quite insistent in fact, about coming over to sit with the children if we get called in. Their niece, Maria, has also offered to help out. She lives less than a block away."

"You seem to have given this some considerable thought. I wouldn't have expected you to be factoring in Sammi's needs or Nick and Leah's wishes. Not when we've barely even begun the process of dealing with Sammi's living arrangements."

"Helena, this is important to us, to both of us." Bobby wrapped his arm around Alex as he spoke. "We're lucky that we to have a big enough home that we can adapt to the increase in our family. We're even luckier that we have friends and Alex's family who are willing and able to support us and offer us practical help when it comes to looking after the children. I am unbelievably lucky that Alex is so willing to offer a place in our home, and her heart, to a child she barely even knew existed, nevermind knew might be mine, until a few days ago."

"How do you feel about all this, Bobby?" Helena had to ask this, what she considered to be probably the hardest question, of the entire interview. She'd got the impression that Bobby Goren was not a man who easily spoke about his feelings, being put on the spot about this situation was not going to be easy for him.

Bobby tightened his grip on Alex slightly and thought for a moment before answering. Unable to contain his nervous energy any longer he stood up and started pacing. The slight smile that Alex gave Helena told the social worker this was not unusual.

"To be honest, I'm still shell-shocked. I mean … it's not a situation I ever expected to find myself in. I've always been careful, made sure I took precautions to ensure that exactly this kind of thing didn't happen, as well as to be sure I was protected … you know … health-wise. I've always tried to be sensible and responsible in my relationships. The last thing I wanted was to leave behind an ex-girlfriend with a child that wouldn't have a proper family." Bobby paused in his words for a moment but his pacing continued.

"Look, Helena, my childhood was … to say the least … less than ideal. My mother is ill …schizophrenia … by the time I was eight years old she couldn't take proper care of herself, nevermind two kids. My father effectively abandoned us long before he actually left my mother. I've spent my entire adult life, and most of my childhood, taking care of my mother. I never expected to find someone who could accept that aspect of my life. So I threw myself into my career, first in the army, then … when I had to come home to take care of my mother and leave the service … with the police force. I kept my relationships with women casual, I never made any promises I couldn't keep. The women I got involved with always knew they weren't top of my list of priorities. They knew my mother and my career came first." He came to a sudden halt, turning and looking at Alex.

"Then I got my transfer to Major Case. I was seeing Lil at the time, she wanted me to move in with her but I knew I wasn't in love with her, that she wasn't the person I wanted to be with for the rest of my life. We split up soon after my transfer. Lil kept pushing for more than I could give, she ended the relationship but, truthfully, by then it was over anyway. It was never a serious relationship, I never gave Lil any reason to believe that it could ever lead to anything more. But I certainly never gave her any cause to be afraid of me. There was no reason for her not to come to me and tell me that she was pregnant and that the baby could be mine. I can … to some extent … understand why … when she was living with Jeff … why she didn't say anything then, but once she knew there was no chance of him being the baby's father …I mean …why couldn't she have come to me then … she must have been pretty sure about Sammi being mine. She put my name on the birth certificate, she … she gave her my mother's name …" Bobby's words trailed off.

Helena's eyes flitted from Bobby to Alex and back. There were tears in both their eyes, but neither of them would let them fall. Bobby started pacing again.

"Frances … Francesca … she named Sammi for my mother and never once hinted that she was my child. Now she decides to just drop a bombshell into my life, without any regard for how her actions might affect Sammi and her own parents, nevermind what it's doing to Alex. Lil doesn't seem to be able to even acknowledge that me and Alex are a couple. She resented Alex when we got partnered together. She even accused me of having an affair with Alex just before we split up." Bobby looked away from Alex, shifting his focus to Helena. "We didn't have an affair back then, in case you're wondering. We've only been … how can I put this … involved … since May of this year. There just wasn't any need to wait any longer … you know, to get to know each other … we've been friends for over three years … we already know each other better than most people ever get to. Alex is the only woman who ever got how important it is to me that I take care of my Mom. She understands why I need space sometimes … she just gets me … not many people do. I know what my reputation within the department is like. I also know what her reputation is … she's damn good at the job … why she puts up with my antics I've never been able to figure out … I'm just grateful she does … because she's the best partner I could ever hope to have. As for our personal relationship, like as I said before I never really expected to get married, have kids, that kinda thing … but I love Alex, I have done for a long time now. It took a while for us to figure it out … that we both felt the same way … but once we did figure it out we decided not to waste any more time." Bobby suddenly ran out of steam, coming to a halt in front of the couch and sitting down beside Alex with a thump.

* * *

Helena guessed, correctly, that it wasn't like Bobby to open up so suddenly and frankly to a complete stranger. She could see the strain showing in his posture. Figuring the couple could use a few minutes to gather their wits, Helena enquired where the bathroom was, excusing herself to give Alex and Bobby a moment of privacy. Alex directed her down the hall. By the time the social worker returned both Alex and Bobby had their emotions back under control.

"So, how do we handle this?" Once again, it was Alex who asked the first question.

"Well, I suggest that in a little while we head back over to Nick and Leah's and see how Sammi's doing. But first I want to reassure you both that your reactions to this situation have greatly reassured me." Helena's tone had now returned to fully professional. "Alex, I had heard about your pregnancy last year, the surrogacy for your sister. I presume that would be the nephew your parents already help out with?"

"Yeah, it is. Do you mind my asking how you heard about that? Not that it's some kinda state secret or anything … I just didn't think it was relevant to this situation."

"Well it did come up in conversation with Nick and Leah, actually, but I would have known about it by now anyway. Births are a matter of public record and one of the first things that happens in a situation like this one is that all parties who would obviously be involved in the custody dispute are background checked to see whether they already have children, where those children are resident, that sort of thing."

"So, let me guess, you were worried when you heard about the surrogacy, right?" Alex looked the social worker square in the eye. "You thought I might be looking to replace my nephew with Sammi? Something along those lines?"

"I can see it will be a waste of all our time if I ever try to be anything less than honest with the two of you. Yes, I was a little worried at first. Then I heard that you were expecting again, this time with your own child. That eased a few of my apprehensions regarding your motives for seeking custody of Sammi. Now, having met the two of you and heard what you have to say regarding the situation … well, let's just say I now believe my fears to have been unfounded." Helena's smile now was open and friendly, not carefully professional. "The two of you have obviously given this situation a lot of thought. You've considered the feelings of the other parties involved, not least Sammi's grandparents. Obviously, I can't make any recommendations as yet, not until we see how Sammi handles things but from what I've heard about you and my own observations, let's just say, off the record for now, that I can't foresee there being any resistance from Child Protection Services regarding your petition for custody. Now, how about you show me around the apartment, let me see for myself where Sammi's room will be?"

* * *

**1 September 2004 – ****Home of Nicky & Leah Giovaissi, Brooklyn, New York**

Sammi Giovaissi was once more perched in her grandfather's lap. It seemed to be her favourite seat, especially if she was feeling nervous about something. Dark brown eyes peaked out from under a fringe of dark curls as Sammi surveyed the adults around her. Then she turned her face back into her grandfather's chest and hid.

"Sammi, I really do need to you talk to us about this, sweetheart."

Helena tried to coax the child to speak to her, hoping they wouldn't be forced to call in any of the child psychologists the department used to deal with traumatised children. She had thought Sammi might be mature enough to be able to cope with the news she had a father without professional counselling, but Helena knew she was getting ahead of herself. They had only just arrived back at Nick and Leah's apartment. At least Sammi had calmed down considerably and all traces of tears were gone from the child's eyes.

"Sammi, is there anything you want to ask?" Bobby's voice was gentle, reassuring.

"Why'd you never say nothing? At parties, you was there and me and Mommy was there but you never said you was my Daddy." Sammi's face turned to look at Bobby. The hurt in her voice was plain for all to hear.

"Because I didn't know. Your Mommy never said anything to me about me being your Daddy, so I couldn't say anything to you." The answering pain in Bobby's voice was equally clear.

"Mommy never telled me either." Sammi looked at the adults once more seated around her grandparents' lounge. "Did Mommy tell you Nana?"

Leah sadly shook her head. "No, baby, your Mommy never told me. She said someone else was your Daddy but he left before you were born. After that she wouldn't talk to me about your father."

"Poppy?" Sammi looked up into her grandfather's face.

Nick looked at Bobby for a second, seeing the younger man's almost imperceptible shake of his head, he decided to keep things simple. Sammi could hear the whole truth regarding Nick's suspicions later, when she was older. For now she needed an explanation a three year old could understand.

"Like Nana said, mia bella, your Mommy would never talk about your father." He gave Sammi a hug, which she returned.

"So Mommy lied to me? She said I didn't have a Daddy, but I do?"

"Let's just say your Mommy made a mistake for the moment, okay, Sammi?" Helena didn't want the already fragile relationship between Sammi and her mother to degenerate any further, things were going to be hard enough for the child as it was.

"Some mistake." Nick muttered, dropping a kiss to his granddaughter's hair.

"Nicky!" Leah hissed at her husband.

"Poppy's angry with Mommy. That happens a lot lately." Sammi addressed her comment to Bobby. "Are you angry with Mommy, for not telling you 'bout me?"

'_Angry doesn't begin to cover how I feel about that._' Bobby quashed the thought and considered his words carefully. "A little, yeah, but I'm sad too, that I've missed out on seeing you and spending time with you. I hear you're friends with my Aunt Annie."

That got Sammi safely off the subject of who was angry with her mother and onto the subject of her French lessons. Bobby thanked god that even extremely intelligent three year olds could be fairly easily distracted.

* * *

Helena sat back and watched the interactions between the people in front of her. Once Bobby managed to get Sammi's mind off the subject of her mother the child relaxed considerably. After about half an hour of simply sitting and chatting, back and forth between Bobby and Sammi, Sammi and Alex, Sammi's grandparents occasionally joining in, the little girl slithered down off her grandfather's lap, heading for the door once more. This time Bobby beat her there, one long arm reaching down and scooping her up.

"Where'd'ya think you're going this time?" Bobby's tone was amused.

"Put me down, silly. I wanna get my book to show to Alex."

"You sure you're not planning on locking yourself in anywhere this time?" He gently tickled Sammi's ribs as she wriggled in his arms.

Sammi gave Bobby a long hard look. "I'm three, not dumb. If you wanted to you could just break the door in."

Alex and Leah spluttered with laughter at Sammi's observation. Nick groaned and hid his head in his hands.

"Well, I could but I don't think that Nana and Poppy would be very pleased with me if I did that, now would they?"

Sammi giggled. "I'm not gonna lock me in anywhere." She pointed down the hallway towards her room. "That's my room. You can come help me get my book." Rather than wriggling to be put down, Sammi wrapped her arms around Bobby's neck.

Bobby and Sammi headed down the hallway, Sammi chattering away as they went.

"Well, she's certainly a lot more relaxed about the idea now." Helena observed, offering a hopeful smile to Nick, Leah and Alex.

"She's a smart kid but she's still just a kid." Nick shrugged. "Sometimes she sounds like she's thirty, next minute she's acting out like a typical three year old. It certainly keeps life interesting having her around."

Helena checked her watch, it was now almost three-thirty, so far there had been no word from Lil. Leah noticed Helena's action.

"I haven't heard from her either." Leah sighed.

"It's possible she's been delayed somehow. I left her a note of the time and location of the meeting." Helena gave a slightly hopeless shrug of her shoulders.

Sammi came running back into the lounge, diving onto the couch beside Alex and depositing a book in her lap.

"This is my favourite." Sammi announced.

"Goodnight Moon." Alex smiled at Sammi as she read the title of the book. "You know, Bobby has a copy of this at his apartment. His mother gave it to him when he was just a little boy."

"He still has it now?" Sammi sounded amazed.

Bobby was now leaning against the doorframe. "Yeah, I still have it. My Mom gave it to me for my third birthday. I don't have a lot of things from when I was little but I managed to hold onto that."

"Poppy got me this for my third birthday, just like your Mommy got you yours. My Mommy doesn't buy me books. She like buying me clothes but I got plenty of clothes. I like getting books better, or sometimes toys." Sammi snuggled up against Alex's side. "Would you read to me? I'm tired."

"You wanna read out here or back in your room?" Alex ran a hand gently over Sammi's curls.

"Here is fine." Sammi mumbled around a yawn.

Alex looked at Nick and Leah, who both nodded. By the time Alex got halfway through the book, Sammi was dozing curled up against her.

* * *


	23. Chapter 23

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

**1 September 2004 – ****Home of Nicky & Leah Giovaissi, Brooklyn, New York**

"I'll take her through." Nick stood up, moving to pick up his granddaughter.

As he returned to the lounge, after getting Sammi settled in her bed, the doorbell rang. Nick glanced at the clock on the mantle, if this was his daughter she was almost two and a half hours late.

Leah walked out into the hallway, pressing the intercom for the street door. "Hello."

"Mother, it's me, Lilianna." Her daughter's disembodied voice carried no hint of apology.

"Come on up." Leah said, resignedly. She knew this was not going to be an easy scene. She opened the apartment door and waited for her daughter to arrive.

It didn't take long for Leah to figure out why her daughter was so late. Lil's hair was freshly cut and coloured, far shorter and several shades lighter than her usual look. In addition to the new hairdo, Lil was loaded with shopping bags, mainly from her own favourite clothes stores but a couple from the small children's boutiques where she preferred to shop for Sammi.

"Hello, Mother." Lil air-kissed to either side of her mother's face, then wafted past her, making her way to the lounge.

Closing the door, Leah followed Lil, shaking her head in astonishment at her daughter's apparent confidence.

"So, as I see things at the moment …" Helena stopped speaking as Lil walked into the lounge.

"Bobby, darling. I'm so glad you could make it, we have so much to discuss." Lil sounded perfectly calm. "I know I'm running a little behind schedule but I wanted to pick up a little something for Sammi." She picked up two of the bags she had dropped beside the armchair she'd gracefully folded herself into.

Lil looked around the room expectantly. "So, where is my baby girl?"

"Sammi's taking a nap. She's had kind of a busy afternoon so far." Nick didn't disguise his irritation.

"Oh, really Father, she's too old to be taking a nap in the afternoon. I'll go wake her up. She'll be so excited to see what I've bought her."

"Actually, Lil, if you wouldn't mind letting Sammi sleep for a little while, there are some things that need discussing." Helena put a hand on Lil's arm, stopping the younger woman from getting up from her chair.

"Such as?" Lil turned her attention to the social worker.

"Well, for starters, an explanation as to why you were over two hours late arriving for this meeting? Luckily I'd set the entire afternoon aside to deal with Sammi's case, normally I would have been gone by now." Helena's crisp, professional persona was firmly back in place.

"I simply lost track of time. I managed to get an appointment with my stylist late this morning, after this past, horrible weekend, I felt the need for something different." One carefully manicured hand patted her freshly styled hair. "Then I thought I really couldn't arrive empty handed, not after Sammi's little scene at Aunt Tina's party. I considered it best to arrive with something to take Sammi's mind off all the upset that's been going on. So I went and did a little shopping. Oh, you really must see the outfit I found, it's just the cutest …"

"You didn't think it might be more important to arrive on time for Sammi's first meeting with her father?" Helena managed to keep her incredulity out of her voice.

"Well, of course, it's important to be here, but it's not as though you'd tell her something like that without me here." Lil waved a hand nonchalantly. "Now, just look at this …" Lil pulled a dress from one of the bags. "She's going to absolutely love it. She'll look so adorable in it, don't you think?" Her question was not addressed to anyone in particular.

Alex almost groaned at the sight of the dress Lil had pulled from the bag. It was pale pink and cream, a veritable confection of lace and layers. During the meeting Sammi had been talking about what she like to do when she wasn't in classes. The little girl was obviously quite a tomboy, already trying to play baseball and football, whenever possible tagging along after her older cousins, especially the boys. When she wasn't trying to keep up with the older children in her family, she liked to help her Nana in the kitchen or, better yet, spending time at Sal's restaurant, where Michael and Val showed her how things were done in the big kitchen there. Somehow, frills and lace did not quite gel with what Alex had heard the little girl enthusing about.

Leah shook her head, obviously appalled at her daughter's choice of clothing for her granddaughter. Nick ran a hand down his face.

"You think that's gonna make up for this past few days? The way you've treated her since the day she was born? Not to mention lying to her about her father?" Nick's tone was bordering on despair.

"Wha … what do you mean? I've never lied to her about her father. I simply told her the truth. That he wasn't a part of our lives." Lil actually sounded as if she believed what she was saying.

Bobby finally spoke. "And why was that, Lil? Because I never had the slightest indication that Sammi was my child."

"Yes but that's all changed now. We'll tell Sammi that you're her Daddy, then we can discuss where we're going to be living. I mean, I can't continue working at the store, not after what happened with Michael. I can let the apartment in Manhattan go, if you still insist on living here in the old neighbourhood." Lil was smiling across at Bobby where he was leaning against the wall, seemingly oblivious to the sudden heavy silence that had fallen around her.

"Where we're going to be living?" Bobby repeated Lil's words back to her.

"Well, of course, you didn't really think I believed all that nonsense about you and Tinkerbell there did you? I mean, you can take a joke too far. You've paid me back for not telling you right away about Sammi, but now we can sort out our relationship and make the necessary arrangements for our family."

Alex Eames was, generally speaking a patient woman, but this was too much, especially with her hormones running riot. Torn between hysterical laughter and tears of anger, she chose to go with laughter, which drew Lil's attention to her.

"Did I say something to amuse you, Tinkerbell?"

"Lil, stop calling Eames that." Bobby growled, but fell silent as Alex held up a hand, rapidly regaining control of her emotions.

"Oh, you definitely did say something to amuse me, Lilianna." Alex smiled sweetly, a definite warning sign to those who knew her well. "You know, I've always kinda liked Tinkerbell. She's a much stronger female character than Wendy, don't you think? I mean, Wendy's all bedtime stories and 'oh I really do need rescuing'. Now, Tink, she's much more my kinda woman. She fights to keep her family together, she's not in the least bit afraid to get down and dirty, right into the action. You know, if I had to choose to be one or the other, Tinkerbell wins, hands down."

"Really, you think so?" Lil's voice took on a hint of confusion. "I always thought of her as a kind of mini-Barbie-doll with wings myself."

"Just goes to show you don't look at the smaller details or the bigger picture, doesn't it? Now, more importantly, you seem to be under the impression that Bobby has been perpetrating some sort of joke at your expense? What exactly would that be?" Alex's voice was completely devoid of irony.

"Well, this whole thing about the two of you being engaged, of course." Lil let out a small snort of laughter.

"You think that entire scene at Tina's party was a set up? That we got your own family and our friends to play along with some kind of deception? To what purpose exactly?" Alex sounded sceptical to say the least.

"Well, yes. I mean, what other explanation is there? It has to be some kind of joke. A man like that …" Lil waved a hand towards Bobby who was now standing behind the couch where Alex was still seated "… he needs a real woman. This whole thing, it's just been Bobby's way of regaining my attention. He knew I was a little put-out when you two started working together. He must have thought pretending to be interested in you, on a more personal level, would make me jealous. It's certainly worked quite well. Of course, now that he knows about Sammi, we can put a stop to this silly charade of his. There's no need to play this game any longer. Now we can be a proper family."

* * *

Helena sat in the chair beside Lil's, completely dumbstruck. She had never come across a client with such a deep-seated case of denial before in almost thirty years of social work. Could this woman possibly believe what she was saying? Helena certainly hoped that Lil was merely attempting to delude herself, as a defence mechanism against the prospect of losing custody of Sammi.

Nick and Leah exchanged a worried look. Both of them realised that Lil and Bobby's short-lived relationship had never been anywhere near serious, why she had suddenly become fixated on Bobby was beyond them. They knew Lil had been showing a great deal of interest in Bobby since they'd met again at Val's wedding, but they hadn't thought that she was actually expecting to build a family with him and Sammi. The idea that their daughter seemed to think Bobby and Alex's relationship was nothing more than a performance, intended to make Lil jealous, was too preposterous for words. Sal and Tina had spent more than two years telling them about Alex and how she and Bobby would make such a wonderful couple, if only they'd stop hiding their feelings from each other. That Lil thought she could simply step back into Bobby's life, now when he was so obviously happy, using Sammi to force him back into a relationship with her was nothing short of horrendous.

"You cannot honestly believe what you just said." Bobby's words were ground out between clenched teeth and barely opened lips.

Lil stood up, moving around the couch to stand beside Bobby, resting one hand possessively on his forearm.

"Of course I do, baby. I mean, you can't possibly get what you need from a slip of a thing like her." Lil gasped as Bobby shook her hand off and took a step away from her.

"You're really haven't heard a word that's been said to you since Saturday have you. I am getting married … to Alex … in two days time. I love her, I don't want anyone else but her. As to comparing the two of you … there is no comparison … you are a vacuous, shallow, selfish excuse for a human being, Lil. You always were. Why I ever … no while we're doing the whole honestly thing I may as well say this … Nick, Leah, I apologise in advance for what I'm about to say but she needs to hear this … hopefully it will get through that over-primped skull of hers … all there ever was between us was physical attraction … I can't remember a single thing we had in common outside of a bedroom. There never was, isn't now and never will be, any chance of you and I having any kind of serious relationship." Bobby walked round the couch, perching himself on the edge of the coffee table, he took both Alex's hands in his.

"You … you are the most beautiful woman I've ever known. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to be able to tell you that." He smiled softly, his love for Alex obvious in his eyes. "You accept me for who I am and you don't feel any need to change me. You make me feel complete. You've made me the happiest man alive by agreeing to be my wife and the mother of my children." His eyes searched her features, as if he was trying to memorise every line and plane of her face. "I can't regret that little girl down the hall, but I do regret who her mother is, even more I regret missing out on her life so far. I am incredibly thankful that you can understand how I feel about that. You are so strong, Alex. You fight for what you feel is right, you do everything in your power to protect those you love. You are going to be the most incredible mom, d'ya know that?"

He leaned forward, brushing the gentlest of kisses across Alex's cheek. Alex's response was to brush her lips across his cheek in return, whispering an almost silent 'thank you' as she did so.

"What, you plan to let her have my little girl?" Lil directed her question at Helena. Her eyes were wide with disbelief.

"No decision will be made until the court hearing, which we don't have a date for at this time. Nobody is saying where Sammi will be living in future, as yet. We have a great many things to discuss. It would certainly help matters if you would accept that Bobby has no interest in a relationship with you, beyond you being his oldest child's mother." Helena attempted to be the voice of reason.

Lil was still only hearing what she wanted to hear. "I am the mother of his child, we don't need a court hearing to settle this. We can be a family."

Alex reached out a hand and gently stroked Bobby cheek, she mouthed the word 'sorry' to him as she stood up and turned to face Lil.

"Lil you are totally unbelievable. Two days … Bobby and I are getting married in two days … and yet still you choose to delude yourself that we're simply pulling a shtick … that for some reason we have nothing better to do with our lives than play games with the likes of you." Alex trailed her eyes down the taller woman's form. "Let's take stock here shall we. You had a few months of physical pleasure with my fiancé, back at the beginning of our partnership. You demanded he request a change of partner because you were so insecure in your 'relationship' that you couldn't deal with him working with a woman. When he refused to give in to your demands, not only regarding severing our partnership but that he re-arrange his entire life to fit in with your plans, you dumped him. You then immediately moved some medical student into your apartment. A couple of months later you announce you're pregnant, Dr-To-Be is gonna be a daddy, only a couple more months down the line Dr-To-Be runs out on you, having found out he can't have kids. You don't bother to inform Bobby he's gonna be a daddy, because you're not actually sure the kid's his. You spend the next few years doing your best to completely ignore your child. You expect your parents to take care of her for you, whenever it's convenient to you. You merely bring her out to play for parties, like some kind of accessory." Eames was on a roll now, warming up to her subject nicely.

"Do you know what her favourite book is? How she spends her time when she's not in school? Who her friends are? Which are her favourite cousins and which ones she currently can't stand? You say you want to build a family with Sammi and Bobby. You think you love Bobby and that he's still carrying a torch for you after all this time. Tell me something personal about Bobby, why don't'cha Lil? How about his preferred reading material? What music does he listen to when he's driving or when he's resting at home? What kind of films does he like? Something more simple? Thai or Chinese? Beer or wine? Scotch or Vodka? Come on Lil, there must be something you know his preference on." Alex stood there, hands on hips, defying Lil to answer just one question.

* * *

"Sammi likes books with animals in them. She, she has lots of friends, you can't expect me to remember them all. And as for Bobby, he prefers Chinese food, wine and vodka." Lil stated Bobby's three preferences with such certainty that Helena actually looked at Bobby for confirmation.

"Thai, beer, Scotch." Bobby and Alex stated in almost perfect unison, Bobby looking Helena in the eyes as he spoke and Alex keeping her eyes locked on Lil.

"Okay, so you can't remember what he likes to eat or drink. There are other things you might know that I don't. How about … oh let's see … which of his Army buddies is he still in touch with? Who, of his partners in Narcotics, does he still have contact with? How about something really easy, Lil? Who did he date back in high school? What subjects did he enjoy and what sports was he really into in school? What's his mother like? You claim to love him, Lil. Did you ever actually take any interest in getting to know him? If you did, how could you, for a single second, think he wouldn't want to know his child?" The last question was almost spat out. Alex was issuing an unmistakable challenge to Lil.

* * *


	24. Chapter 24

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

**1 September 2004 – ****Home of Nicky & Leah Giovaissi, Brooklyn, New York**

"How … how can you ask me that?" Lil glared at Alex, then looked at her parents and Helena. She was careful not to actually look at Bobby.

Bobby stood up, coming to stand behind Alex. "She can ask, because I've been asking her since Saturday, how any woman could do something like this. How did you justify to yourself not telling me that Sammi could be mine?"

"I didn't think you'd want to know. What man wants to be burdened with a child he didn't plan on having. You'd made it clear you were more interested in your career, your mother, hell, even your partner than you were in me. That's why we split up, remember? Because you were already in love with her." Lil threw a sneer at Alex, who reached up and covered Bobby's hand, which was resting on her shoulder, with her own.

"How was I supposed to tell you that I was pregnant but I couldn't be sure who the father was because I'd been sleeping with other men. Every time you went undercover, I'd get so lonely. It wasn't my fault, Bobby. You were so wrapped up in your job and when you weren't undercover, well you'd spend half your time on the phone with your precious mother. I mean, my god, how needy can one woman be! Does she really need to speak to you at least once every single day and have you visit every weekend. There just wasn't any time for us."

"Needy … you of all people dare to accuse his Mom of being needy?" This was way too much for Alex to take. "His mother can't help how her illness causes her to behave. She at least tried to be a mother to him before her illness made that impossible for her. She isn't needy … she needs him … there is a difference. You … you have absolutely no excuse for failing to be a mother to Sammi. You chose not to take care of your child. You chose not to tell her father about her. You chose to turn up here today, two and a half hours late for what may well be the most important meeting of Sammi's life, and what do you know, you chose to show up drunk."

Lil gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "How dare you …"

Alex was giving no quarter. "Oh come on, Lil. D'ya really think anyone is fooled by the act? Vodka may not smell much in a glass, but it still leaves residue on the breath. Then, of course, there's the eyes. It's so easy to tell when someone's been drinking by their eyes. Most people don't even realise it but pupil reaction is seriously effected by alcohol. You were drunk at the church the day of Val and Lainie's wedding. You were already drunk when you arrived at your aunt's party the other night. I'd guess the only reason you weren't drunk when Bobby and I arrived at the 2-7 on Saturday was because you'd been at the station for long enough for a fair amount of alcohol to work its way out of your system. When was the last time you made it through a day without ending up at the bottom of a bottle?"

* * *

"Why you little bitch!" Lil screamed, fingers hooked into claws as she threw herself towards Alex.

Bobby stepped around Alex in the rather confined space behind the couch, pushing her behind him and allowing Lil to collide solidly with his chest.

"Get out of my way!" Lil continued to scream. Throwing punches at Bobby and insults at Alex. "Tramp, whore, man stealer! You little bleach blond tart. How dare you come between me and Bobby? Between me and my daughter? How dare you accuse me of being a drunk?"

"Mommy?" Sammi came into the lounge, eyes wide with shock. Her mother's first scream had woken her and brought her running from her room.

Lil didn't stop trying to get through Bobby in order to attack Alex. She continued screaming, now incoherently, odd words were recognisable, 'whore', 'bitch' and others that were certainly not for the ears of her child. Mostly she was speaking so rapidly and at such a high pitch that it was impossible to make out what she was trying to say. Bobby finally managed to grab Lil's wrists, turning her around so her back was against his chest and she couldn't throw any more punches and slaps at him. As she was turned around, Lil's eyes fell onto her daughter, standing in the doorway looking absolutely terrified.

Nick was already on his feet, moving to comfort Sammi, as was Leah.

"Let go of me, Bobby!" Lil shrieked. "My baby needs me!"

"You need to calm down, Lil. You're scaring Sammi half to death." Bobby's tone made his contempt for Lil's behaviour quite clear.

"Nana, why is Mommy trying to hurt Bobby? Why's she saying all those things 'bout Alex?" Sammi burrowed herself into her grandmother's arms.

"Come on, bellissima, let's go back to your room." Leah started to stand up with Sammi in her arms but the child wriggled from her grasp.

"No! What's wrong with Mommy?" Sammi's voice trembled from her lips, tears welling in her eyes.

Helena stood up. "Enough, Lil, stop this immediately. You are upsetting Sammi and you are doing yourself no good at all." She approached the overwrought child. "Sammi, Mommy's a little upset. She's having a hard time coping with everything at the moment."

"Mommy, please stop." Sammi implored her mother, leaning to look around Helena. Lil was still struggling against Bobby's grip. "Mommy, please, don't hurt my Daddy."

That brought Lil to a halt. She suddenly went completely stiff in Bobby's arms. Her eyes flashed with anger as she glared at her parents and the social worker, currently gathered around her child, trying to comfort her.

"You told her? Without me being here, you told her?"

* * *

"Lil, you weren't here. She needed to know why Bobby and Alex were. We didn't know when you'd arrive, or even if you would. What did you expect us to do? Lie to her, like you have all her life?" Nick turned to his daughter, his own eyes matching hers for anger.

"How dare you? How dare you conspire against me like this? Turning my baby against me? Papa, how could you and Mama do this? She's all I have that's truly mine. How could you turn against me like this and take her away from me?" Lil started to struggle again, lashing out as much as she could with her arms and legs.

"The only conspiracy around here is the one in your head, the one between you and your imagination. No one here wants anything other than what's best for Sammi. She's a person, Lil. She's not some toy you can pick up and put down as and when it suits you. She doesn't belong to you. She's a blessing, every child should be seen as a blessing. You don't treat her the way she should be treated. She's growing up fast, Lil. She's a clever little girl, she can see what you do to her. Do you honestly think she's blind to what goes on around her?"

"Nick, I don't think this is something that you should be discussing in front of Sammi." Helena placed a hand firmly on Nick's arm as she spoke.

Throughout the commotion Leah spoke softly to Sammi, trying to convince the child to return with her to her room.

"Sammi, I know you want to know what's going on, but could you go to your room with Nana for a few minutes, while I get a few adult things sorted out with your Poppy and Mommy?" Helena spoke to Sammi, ignoring Lil, who was again struggling with Bobby, for the moment.

Sammi nodded, crestfallen, as she looked across the room at her mother, still struggling in Bobby's arms and muttering the kinds of words that the child was used to her grandfather telling her older cousins off for using in front of her.

"Okay, Helena, but you won't let Bobby go nowhere will you?"

"Don't worry, Sammi. I'm not planning on leaving." Bobby spoke clearly across Lil's inarticulate cursing.

Sammi finally gave in to the insistent pleading of her grandmother and turned to leave the lounge once more.

* * *

Once she heard the bedroom door close, Helena turned her attention to Lil, Bobby and Alex.

"Alex, would you mind coming over here. I know you're perfectly capable of taking care of yourself, but there are the babies to consider and Lil doesn't seem to be in control of her faculties just yet." Helena's eyes begged Alex to move away from the woman still thrashing in Bobby's arms.

"Alex, honey, please. I'd feel a lot better if you weren't within arms reach of Lil right now." Bobby spoke without even trying to look over his shoulder, concentrating on keeping Lil from hurting either him or herself.

"Okay but, Goren, just remember this is under protest and only to keep the babies safe."

"Noted, Eames." Bobby grunted, as Lil's heel whacked against his shin.

"Lil, knock it off." Nick was now standing in front of his daughter.

"You're all in this together. You want to take Sammi away from me. Let me go, Bobby." Lil had at least stopped shouting and struggling.

Bobby loosened his grip on Lil, stepping back very slightly and taking his arms from around her. As soon as she felt Bobby arms fall away from her, Lil darted around her father, making a beeline for Alex.

"This is all your fault!" Lil yelled, literally launching herself at Alex.

Seeing Lil make her move, Alex was up and out of the armchair before Helena could react to what was happening. Nick was in Bobby's way, blocking the younger man from reaching Lil. Nick himself couldn't move quickly enough to actually stop his daughter.

Next thing anyone knew Lil was on her stomach on the floor, Alex's knee pressing firmly into the small of her back. Alex had both the taller woman's wrists gripped firmly in one hand, her other hand reaching behind her back for her cuffs.

"You really want me to arrest you for assaulting a police officer?" Alex was the very definition of professional calm. "Because that's what you just did. When you were hitting Goren like that. That was an assault on a police officer, Lil. You really want to do another stint in central booking?"

Lil squirmed under Alex, attempting to buck the smaller woman off.

"Let me go!" Lil seethed.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Alex snapped her cuffs into place around Lil's wrists.

"This is a wrongful arrest!"

"Even if you tried that line, my actions are, at the very least self-defence. Anyhow, I haven't arrested you …" Alex paused, pressing her knee just a little more firmly into Lil's back. "… yet. You want me to arrest you, Lil? You didn't answer my question."

Alex felt Bobby's hand on her shoulder.

"You okay?" Concern virtually dripped from Bobby's words.

"I'm fine. How're your shins?" Alex hadn't missed the fact that Lil had been kicking against Bobby's legs.

"They're fine. You wanna get up now?" He helped Alex to her feet, leaving Lil to roll over and sit up.

"Are you going to let her treat me like this?" Lil demanded, her face a picture of the petulance that filled her voice.

"Lilianna, you just tried to attach a pregnant woman. A guest in my home. And you think you're the one being badly treated?" Nick really couldn't find it in his heart to even attempt to sympathise with his daughter.

"You need to calm down, Ms Giovaissi, or I will call the local precinct and have you arrested myself." Helena managed, somehow, to sound calm, whilst inside her stomach was tying itself in knots.

Lil glared at the four people surrounding her.

"I will not give up my child." The words came out as a low growl.

"Until today, I had thought that there might be some possibility of finding a middle ground, maybe recommending a joint custody arrangement between yourself, Bobby and your parents. Afterall, your parents have been Sammi's primary caregivers throughout her life. Having witnessed your behaviour here today I shall be requesting a comprehensive psychological evaluation be carried out. I shall definitely be recommending that the current situation with regard to supervised visitation remain in place. You will not be permitted to have access to your daughter unless there is a member of my department in attendance and given the violence of your reaction today, also a police officer." Helena's tone brooked no possible argument from Lil. "As to the residency issue, taking into account your father's health situation and your parents' ages, and in view of your past neglect of Sammi and your current unreasonable behaviour, I have only one course of action that I can recommend to the court. I cannot in all good conscience recommend that Sammi be permitted to live with you in any capacity at this time, or for the foreseeable future. Given that your parents have no objection to Sammi becoming resident with Mr Goren and Ms Eames, my recommendation to the court is quite clear to me."

Helena stood up, gathering her files and briefcase. Once she'd finished collecting her things, she pulled out her cell phone.

"Hello, this is Helena MacLean, Child Protection Services. I need officers in attendance for removal of a threatening parent." There was a pause whilst Helena listened for a moment. "No the person in question is currently restrained and there is no necessity for an arrest. I do, however, need to have her removed from these premises and escorted to her own home at the earliest opportunity." Another short pause. "Thank you, the address is Apartment 1a, 235 Livingston Street, Brooklyn."

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	25. Chapter 25

Disclaimer: Not mine.

* * *

**1 September 2004 – ****Home of Nicky & Leah Giovaissi, Brooklyn, New York**

"You're having me escorted out of my parents' home?" Lil managed to sound indignant and disbelieving. Considering she was sitting on the floor of her parents' lounge, hands cuffed behind her back, the indignance was understandable, the disbelief was somewhat of a surprise to the four people looking down at her.

"What action, exactly, do you expect me to have taken against you, under the circumstances?" Helena enquired. "Think about your behaviour, Ms Giovaissi. You arrive late and, as Detective Eames observed, intoxicated for an extremely sensitive and important meeting. You give no reasonable explanation for your laxity. You then refuse to face the reality of the situation you have placed yourself and your family in. You choose to compound the situation by attacking, or attempting to attack, not one but two police officers. One of them being the father of your child. You should consider yourself lucky that, for the moment, you are not facing anything more serious than being removed and escorted home."

Lil pouted and in an almost childlike voice addressed Bobby. "Please, Bobby, take off these cuffs."

Bobby looked around at the others. Alex shrugged, she would let this be his call. Nick shook his head slightly. Helena, now stony-faced, responded to Lil's request.

"Ms Giovaissi, I don't believe it would be in the interests of Detective Eames' personal safety to allow Detective Goren to release you at this time."

"I wasn't talking to you. I was talking to Bobby. He knows I wouldn't really hurt her." Lil's voice was petulant, but there was no hint of sincerity or apology in her tone.

"At this moment, Lil, I'm not sure what you might do." Bobby glared at his ex-girlfriend. He reached down and gripped Lil's upper arms, dragging her to her feet and looking deep into her eyes. "What the hell is going on in that head of yours? You cannot expect me to uncuff you. You just tried to attack Alex. She's carrying my children. She's about to become my wife. You expect me to put your comfort above her safety?"

Lil tried to stepped closer to Bobby, who was holding her at arms' length.

"She … she stole you from me. She came between us … back when you moved to Major Case … this whole situation … this entire mess … it's all her fault. Can't you see that? If you'd never met her. If you'd been partnered with someone else … then we'd be a real family … you, me and Sammi. We can still be a family, Bobby. We can try again. I can forgive you for letting her do this to us. I … I can stop drinking, if that's what you need me to do. I can change … take more of an interest in your hobbies. I could go to meet your mother … I'll learn to put up with you spending so much time on her." Lil was rambling, seemingly unaware of the expressions of amazement on the faces of the people around her.

"Oh, God, I'm gonna be sick." Alex darted out of the lounge, heading for the bathroom. The emotional overload of the meeting, combined with her morning sickness, sending her stomach rolling.

With Alex out of the room, Bobby released his grip on Lil, wiping his hands down the sides of his jacket, unconsciously attempting to remove all traces of the woman from his skin.

"Enough, Lil." Nick decided to try and reason with his daughter, who was again taking a step towards Bobby. Her father's hand came out to grip her arm, stopping her in her tracks. "You can't go on like this. Bobby was never in love with you. He never made you any promises. You two barely even had a relationship. Alex has never done anything to you."

Lil rounded on her father, shaking off his hand. "You … you're happy about this whole thing aren't you? You see this as your chance to pay me back for being such a disappointment to you and Mama. You don't trust me to take care of Sammi and you're getting sick of taking care of her. Why can't you just leave us alone? Why can't you let me take care of her myself? I can do it. I can be a good mother. I can change … I can … I just need Bobby to help me." Her words were spoken in a low, angry hiss.

"This is your perfect solution isn't it, Papa?" She spat out the last word. "You take my baby away from me and you don't have to take care of her so much any more. You get to see her with a 'proper' family. Not like her being stuck with a disgrace of a single mother. You get to ruin my life."

Bobby's words cut across Lil's venomous tirade. "The only person ruining lives here is you, Lil. Looking back … I should have seen the signs … when we were together. Even then you couldn't get through an evening without taking a drink … usually several. My god, you're lucky Sammi wasn't born with problems because of your drinking. What's the problem, Lil? Can't face up to a little real life? Couldn't deal with the fact that after high school, when you got out into the big wide world, you suddenly weren't the prettiest girl in every room? You weren't automatically the centre of attention wherever you went? Welcome to reality, Lil. You don't get to be head cheerleader forever. You're so shallow all you can bring yourself to worry about is yourself. You've never given a damn about Sammi, have you? Except when you could put her on display, when she could make you seem more like a more interesting, better-rounded human being. Afterall, everyone loves a Mommy, don't they? Did anyone ever question why she spends so little time with you, or did you simply never admit that to the people you were showing her off to? How many nights do you think that little girl has spent lying in bed, wondering why her mother can't take the time to come to school and see her teachers? Why you're not there when she wakes with a nightmare or when she's ill? Why you can't at least be here for her when you've promised you will be? What do you think you're doing to her, Lil? Why would you think I would be in the least interested in leaving Alex, abandoning the children that she's carrying, for you?"

"Because I love you." There wasn't a trace of irony in Lil's response to Bobby.

"Love me … you don't have the faintest notion what it is to love someone. To go through the trauma of losing the most important person in your life and still worry more about what's happening to his family than how his loss will affect you? Could you even begin to start living again, risk loving again after something like that? Do you have it in you to carry a child that isn't your own? Knowing that when the pregnancy is over you'll be left with nothing but empty arms and the memory of what it feels like to have that child moving within you? You're not fit to step on Eames' shadow, you could certainly never take her place. She cares for those she loves – you expect to be cared for and give nothing in return. She'd die, or kill which for her would be worse, to protect any child – you can't even give up five minutes of your time to protect your own child. She gives – you do nothing but take. You say she stole me from you – what makes you think I was ever yours for her to steal. I never gave the slightest indication that we were anything but short-term. We had some fun – that's it. You never got to know me because I never let you in. I never wanted to let you in, you weren't important enough to me. I've been Alex's for the taking since I realised she was staying, that our partnership was going to work, for both of us. That didn't happen until after me and you were already over and done." Bobby circled Lil as he spoke, his contempt for her dripping from every word he spoke.

"You have no idea how much you have to sacrifice when you really love another human being. Would you have willingly given up most of your adult life to care for a parent who had been unable to care for you during most of your childhood? Have you any perception of what it takes to keep forgiving the people who should be there for you when they continually let you down, time and again? How many chances have your parents, your brothers, given you to clean up your act, Lil? How many times have they covered for you when Sammi arrived here on a Monday morning with a bruise or a graze or a cut that you couldn't remember how she got? How many times have they warned you that you needed to pay more attention to your child? I know for a fact Sam and Peter have offered, more than once, to help you make your apartment safer for Sammi. Why'd you never take them up on the offer? Didn't want to risk some new 'boyfriend' being put off a quick roll by there being evidence around that you had a kid? Couldn't have your image tainted by your 'home' being less than perfectly styled? Is how other people see you really so much more important to you than your daughter's well-being?"

* * *

Nick stood staring at Bobby as he circled Lil. He was suddenly all too aware of why Bobby was spoken of in such mixed terms by the members of the family who served on the police force. If this was the way Bobby could teardown a suspect's defences it was no wonder he'd made it to such a high profile unit as Major Case. This was not the usually easygoing, caring man he thought he knew. This Bobby was getting deep inside Lil's head, pointing out each of her flaws, every mistake she'd made and throwing them in her face without any seeming care for how she reacted. The certainty and resolve with which Bobby was picking apart his daughter was almost shocking to the older man.

Helena watched with interest, as each of Bobby's observations and questions hit Lil like a physical blow. The younger woman seemed incapable of responding, beyond attempting to lean forward and get closer to Bobby each time he completed a circle and was once again immediately in front of her, and an occasional gasped 'Bobby, please' which escaped Lil's lips in a stricken tone. Each time Lil leaned towards him Bobby stepped away a little more quickly, continuing to circle, never breaking off in his analysis of her actions. Helena had been surprised when Bobby hadn't reacted physically to Lil's attempt to assault Alex. Now she realised this was his favoured mode of defence, or assault depending on how you viewed the scene, not physical but psychological. He had waited until Alex was safe from any further physical threat, until Sammi was safely out of hearing range and distracted, and now he was moving in on his prey. Helena had known, from the file she had received, that the detective was a criminal profiler but she hadn't expected to see him use his skills to such devastating effect.

Lil stood in the 'eye of the storm', 'the storm' that was Bobby Goren pushed to his limit. She had made the mistake of threatening Alex, of posing a risk to his children, Sammi included. He wasn't worried about what Helena or Nick might think, all that concerned him, at this moment in time, was making damn sure that Lil got the message loud and clear – he wasn't playing games here – Alex, their future children and Sammi were all off limits to Lil, he had no interest in 'turning back the clock', Lil needed to realise that she meant nothing to him beyond the fact she had given birth to his child. With Sammi and Alex out of her physical reach for the moment he intended to get that message across.

Alex had finished cleaning herself up and returned to the lounge just as Bobby started to 'prod' Lil about how her family had covered for her throughout Sammi's life. She stood, leaning against the doorframe. She was familiar with this routine, if a little surprised that he was employing it at this moment. She had not expected him to react like this to Lil's behaviour, treating her as though he were interrogating a suspect, breaking down her defences with no compunction whatsoever. She felt a sudden rush of pride and gratitude; this was for her, for his children; he was never going to allow this woman to put any of them at risk again. She knew he would, without a second thought, gladly take a bullet to protect her but to see him stripping Lil bare, attempting to destroy her carefully constructed image of herself, when she knew his first instinct would normally have been to try and protect the other woman as much as possible, reinforced her conviction that she had made the right choice in taking their relationship beyond the bounds of friendship. She was unconscious of the fact that she was running one hand lightly over her stomach in an ages old protective gesture shared by all pregnant women.

* * *

Bobby came to a standstill immediately in front of Lil and looked her straight in the eyes.

"You have proven, in every choice you've made since the day you found out you were pregnant, that you are not fit to be a mother. All I have to be thankful for is that you didn't choose to terminate the pregnancy and that you're drinking didn't cause any harm to Sammi. Alex told you at Tina's party and I'm telling you now – you are certainly not fit to be a mother to my child. I want nothing, and I mean nothing, more to do with you other than to allow you the minimum visitation possible with Sammi. That'll probably turn out to be more time than you currently spend with her in any case. You're carelessness, your neglect, your complete indifference to her have caused that baby nothing but pain. Hopefully having a father and a stepmother who actually give a damn about her will help to erase some of that pain. I will not allow you to do any further damage to my daughter."

He ignored the tears sliding down a now silent Lil's cheeks and turned to Helena.

"When the guys from the precinct get here I want her taken to Manhattan SVU. They can start a child endangerment enquiry with regard to Sammi past welfare. I'll also be asking them to contact ADA Carver. I'm bringing charges regarding the breaking of the restraining order." Bobby turned slightly and looked at Alex. "If attempting to assault Alex doesn't count as harassment, I don't know what does."

Helena nodded, she could see why Bobby would want to bring charges against Lil. This wasn't about revenge, this was about protecting his family. That kind of motivation she could definitely understand.

Nick stepped towards Bobby. "You sure you have to do that? I mean, couldn't you …" he stopped talking when he saw the expression in Bobby's eyes.

"She's had too many excuses made for her, Nick. She's your daughter and you love her and I can understand that but I can't allow her to threaten Alex and the kids. I'm sorry it's come to this but I can't let this slide." The apology was for the pain that Lil's being charged would cause to her parents and Sammi, not for his actions. Bobby walked over to join Alex. "You okay?"

"Yeah, just morning sickness, again." She nodded, smiling softly and laying a hand gently on his arm. "You?"

"I will be. Look would you mind going through to Sammi's room for a few minutes, and letting Sammi come out and say goodbye to Lil. I don't want her to see her mother in cuffs. This doesn't mean I don't think you can't take care of yourself or our babies but I don't want to take any chances … I'd rather you weren't in the room when I take the cuffs off her." His eyes searched her face, hoping not to see anger there at his request.

Alex didn't disappoint him. "That I kind of overprotectiveness I can learn to live with. I'll go have a word with Leah and they'll be out in a minute. Okay?"

"Thanks." He gave her hand a gentle squeeze where it rested on his arm, before she turned to walk back down the hallway.

* * *


	26. Chapter 26

Disclaimer: Not mine :o(

A/N: Sorry this has taken so long to update – real life, a dodgy computer and even dodgier internet connection, have been getting in the way of hobbies (again!). My computer and internet are now fully functional once more – so hopefully I should be getting back to updating on a regular basis.

* * *

**1 September 2004 – Home of Nicky & Leah Giovaissi, Brooklyn, New York**

Bobby waited until he heard the bedroom door close behind Alex, then turned his attention to Lil.

"I'm going to take the cuffs off, I don't want Sammi upset anymore than necessary while you're saying goodbye. You only get the one opportunity, Lil. You make one wrong move and the cuffs go back on."

Lil nodded, never raising her eyes off the floor. "I just want to speak to Sammi before your buddies get here."

Bobby moved round behind her, digging in his pocket for his keys and unfastening the cuffs, doing his best not to actually touch Lil at all. Once the cuffs were off, Lil flexed her arms and rubbed at her wrists.

"They're sore, did she have to fasten them so damn tight?" Lil huffed.

"Lilianna, I think you should count yourself lucky, considering you tried to attack Alex." Nick sounded as though he would happily leave his daughter in handcuffs. He may not have wanted her arrested but he wasn't sure he trusted her to be let loose.

Lil's eyes came up to meet her father's. "I … I … I wouldn't have really hurt her." She asserted, but no one was convinced, given that her tone carried plenty of anger and no regret.

Bobby placed a hand on the older man's shoulder. "Leave it, Nicky. It's okay."

"It's anything but okay, Bobby." Nick trembled with anger under Bobby's hand. "You … you can't trust her, I don't know what she's gonna pull next."

"I'll be careful. I won't let her do anything." Bobby was becoming worried about Nick being so agitated, in case he suffered an angina attack.

The sound of the bedroom door opening and closing again, caused all four of the people in the lounge to turn and look towards the door. Sammi appeared first, closely followed by Leah.

"Mommy, is everything okay?" Although she hadn't been able to make out exactly what had been said in the lounge after she'd left, Sammi had heard the raised voices over her grandmother's attempts to distract her.

"Oh, everything's just fine, Sweetie. Mommy can't stay very long, some of Alex's friends from the police are coming to take me home in a few minutes. I just wanted to say goodbye before I have to leave." The spiteful tone of Lil's voice was lost to no one.

Sammi looked from her mother to her father then back again.

"What did you do?" She asked. She may have been young but she had learned fast in her short life that her mother was more than capable of getting herself into trouble.

"I didn't do anything wrong. It's not my fault that woman stole your father from us."

Leah gasped at Lil's statement, turning to look at her husband as he sat down heavily in the armchair nearest him, his hand going to his chest.

"Nicky, sweetheart, do you need your tablets?" She took a step towards her husband.

Meanwhile, Helena took a step towards Sammi. "Sammi, you're mother's still quite upset. You need to understand that. Okay?"

Sammi nodded, stepping towards her grandfather, her small face a picture of worry. "Poppy, you okay?"

Nick nodded. "Just need my medicine, baby, that's all."

"That's right, everyone worry about anyone but me. I'm just not important enough am I?" Lil's voice was a shrill whine.

"Mommy, Poppy's sick." Sammi stood beside her grandfather, one small hand gently stroking his forearm. She wasn't paying much attention to her mother.

"Poppy will be just fine, Sammi. We have other things to worry about, like how to stop Alex from getting you instead of you living with Mommy." There was no missing the spiteful edge to Lil's voice as she spoke to her daughter.

"But, Mommy, I don't really live with you much anyway. Why would it matter if I stayed with my Daddy and Alex some of the time?" Sammi continued to look at her grandfather as she spoke, her small face a picture of worry.

"Lil do you think you could consider someone other than yourself for one moment. Your father is ill, your daughter's life is being turned upside down. Can you please give them a little consideration." Leah's voice held nothing but for contempt for her daughter as she returned to the lounge, carrying a glass of water and her husband's medication.

"Oh, that's right I have to remember I'm the bad guy in all this. Nevermind that bitch in the bedroom who stole my boyfriend and forced me to be a single mother." Lil's voice was now a snarl, as she took a step towards her parents and Sammi.

"Lil, mind your language." Bobby stepped between Lil and her family as he spoke.

"Yeah, yeah, don't swear in front of the kid. Don't say anything bad about your precious partner. How long has that really been going on Bobby? I'll bet you were banging her back when we were still an item. That's why you wouldn't drop her isn't it? Isn't it?" By now Lil was getting loud again.

"Ms Giovaissi, please calm down. You're really not helping the situation." Helena interjected.

"You keep out of this. This is none of your damn business." Lil spat the words at Helena, not bothering to look at her. She jabbed a finger at Bobby's chest. "Admit it, Bobby. You were already getting busy with your precious Eames back when we were still a couple, weren't you? Do you think that makes you a model parent? Perhaps you shouldn't be allowed to see Sammi, it's not as if you've ever been part of her life."

"I have never cheated on anyone I was involved with, Lil. Not even you. And if I'd actually known Sammi was mine then things would have been very different over the past few years." Bobby kept his voice level, not wanting to escalate the situation any further, especially with Nick obviously unwell and Sammi in the room.

"Mommy, please stop. You're making Poppy poorly. I don't want my Daddy to stop seeing me again. I like him and Alex. I don't understand why you're so mad about them wanting to take care of me. You let everyone else take care of me."

Helena couldn't help but be impressed with the succinct way Sammi put her observations about her mother's actions. She was, however, somewhat concerned by the fact that Sammi was beginning to sound upset.

"Sammi, your grandfather will be fine. See he's taken his medicine already. And your Mommy can't make your father stop seeing you. Now that he knows about you I'm sure he wouldn't ever let that happen."

Bobby glanced over his shoulder at Sammi. "That's right, Sammi. I won't stop seeing you, no matter what happens."

A moment's distraction was all Lil thought she needed. As Bobby looked over his shoulder, taking his eyes off her for the first time since Alex had left the room, Lil stepped around him making a grab for Sammi. Luckily Bobby hadn't taken his attention fully off her. He noticed her start to move around him. His hand snapped out, grasping Lil by the wrist.

"What do you think you're doing?" His voice was low, his tone harsh.

"She's my daughter. I'm not going to let you take her from me. Not to give her to that bitch!" Lil snarled.

Bobby was anything but gentle as he snapped the cuffs back around Lil's wrists. He had seen the look on Lil's face as she moved towards Sammi. He couldn't be sure what she had intended to do but the anger on her face was obviously directed at her child.

"Bobby, why are you doing that?" Sammi finally looked up from her grandfather.

"I'm sorry, Sammi. I can't trust you mother not to do something stupid. I don't think it's a good idea for her to be loose at the moment." Bobby managed to keep his tone gentle as he spoke to Sammi, even as he tried to keep Lil from struggling.

"Are you scared she might hit me again?" Sammi's innocent question hit the room like a bombshell.

* * *

Silence reigned for a moment, until Bobby spoke. "Sammi, when did your Mommy hit you before?"

He kept Lil pinned face-forward against the wall as he spoke, turning his body towards Sammi as he spoke.

"Some … sometimes, when she has me to stay weekends and she's been drinking her special drinks. That's when she can't cope with me anymore. That's what she says. Don't be mad at her Bobby, it's my fault … I shouldn't always be asking questions … specially when she's tired and needs her rest." Sammi's voice was very small as she answered her father's question from the shelter of her grandmother's arms.

Nick and Leah stared at each other over the top of Sammi's head. They'd noticed occasional bruises on Sammi when she'd arrived home on Mondays after staying with Lil at weekends but their daughter had always said they'd been caused by a fall at the playground. They couldn't believe they'd allowed themselves to be so blind. Lil's neglect of Sammi had been hard enough to deal with, now they had to deal with the fact that she had been physically abusing her daughter as well.

"Eames, I need you in here." Bobby called, still keeping a now struggling Lil pinned to the wall. He could feel his anger rising rapidly, along with memories of his own childhood. If Alex didn't get to him quickly to help him keep a handle on things, he wasn't really sure what he might do, even with Sammi present.

"Ms Giovaissi, I must advise you that I will be instigating a full investigation into allegations of both child neglect and physical abuse against you. I suggest you cooperate to the fullest possible extent." Helena managed to do a good job of masking her anger.

As a social worker with almost twenty years experience Helena dealt with abusive and neglectful parents on a day-to-day basis. Lil wasn't the worst she'd come across in terms of the extent of the damage done to her child but there was just something about Sammi that made Helena feel for her more deeply than she would usually allow herself to. Now she stood there watching Sammi being comforted by her grandparents, whilst her father restrained her mother. Helena looked at Bobby's carefully controlled face.

'_Thank god he's used to controlling his emotions in unpleasant situations. Otherwise I think Lilianna would be in serious danger about now._" The social worker thought to herself. She could easily see the underlying tension in Bobby's face and body, and she wasn't in the least inclined to blame him for feeling out of control at the idea that his ex girlfriend had been hitting their daughter.

Lil was struggling against Bobby's hands. He had one hand between her shoulderblades, keeping her against the wall, the other gripped around her wrists, just above the cuffs, stopping any attempt the turn around. Whilst physically restrained, there was no restraining Lil's mouth at the moment. She was cursing and swearing, threatening Bobby and Alex with wrongful arrest or police brutality charges. She accused Sammi of lying, saying she'd never done anything more than smack her bottom, that she'd never actually hit her properly. That assertion and accusation had brought tears to Sammi's cheeks and a wail of denial from the child's mouth.

Alex stepped into the lounge and Lil tried to make a lunge for her again. Bobby didn't let her move so much as an inch and Lil let out a pained wail herself, as the muscles in her arms and body protested at the attempted movement against the force of the hands restraining her.

"You don't get to try anything this time, Lil." Bobby's voice was just as tightly controlled as his temper was at the moment.

"What's going on?" Alex asked, knowing this was exactly the kind of scene Bobby had been hoping to avoid by getting her to leave the room.

"Alex," Helena's voice was calm and reassuring, cutting across Sammi's sobbing and Lil's screeching, "it seems that Ms Giovaissi has been hitting Sammi during some of her drinking episodes. It also seems she doesn't appreciate Bobby restraining her to stop her from repeating the abuse."

Alex glared at Lil for a second then glanced questioningly at the social worker.

"She made a grab for Sammi. Bobby obviously got the same impression I did. That Lil might be capable of actually harming Sammi at that point and restrained her. That was when Sammi asked if he thought Lil might hit her again and, well, you can see the result of that question." Helena raised one hand and waved it between the small group around the armchair where Nick sat and Bobby where he stood with Lil pressed up against the wall.

"Oh great, just what I need to deal with. Another one like my aunt, likes to hit kids when she's drunk." Alex muttered. She ignored Lil completely and stepped up to Bobby, placing her hand on his back and feeling him trembling with suppressed rage. "Bobby?"

His head turn and his eyes met hers but she knew he wasn't really seeing her. At this point, he was lost somewhere in his own mind, fighting off the demons caused by the memories of his own childhood and the beatings he had received at the hands of his parents and even, on occasion, his brother.

"Bobby, it's gonna be okay. We're gonna make sure Lil doesn't ever get to do this again, alright?" She rubbed small circles on his back as she spoke, hoping the physical contact would help bring him out of whatever darkness was currently trying to consume him.

Bobby's eyes began to clear. "Eames … how … how could anyone?" He couldn't finish the question but Alex knew he was asking not only about Lil's behaviour toward Sammi but, somewhere in his mind, also trying to figure out what had happened to himself as a child.

"I don't know, baby, I just don't know." She leaned into him now, resting herself against him, arms wrapped tightly around his waist. "You gonna be okay?"

This was something of a familiar situation to them, he still suffered nightmares, especially after a particularly bad case involving children. Over the past few months, whilst they'd been living together, she had found herself comforting him at night several times when he'd woken up in a cold sweat. She knew this must be something of a waking nightmare for him, dragging too many memories to the surface at once, letting out demons that usually only chased him whilst he tried to sleep. She felt a shudder run through him.

"Yeah … yeah … I'm good." Bobby murmured, barely audible above Lil, still shrieking curses and threats.

Alex looked into his eyes, seeing the darkness start to recede. She nodded, loosening her arms slightly around him. He let go of Lil's wrists and wrapped his now free arm around Alex.

"Thank you." He mumbled as he dropped a quick kiss onto her hair.

"This is going to work out. Day after tomorrow we get married. Until the whole custody thing is settled, Sammi can come stay whenever she wants, it's not as if there's not enough room at the apartment. It'll give us all a chance to get to know each other. I'm pretty sure Helena's not going to be exactly fighting Lil's corner when it comes to the custody hearing. By the time the twins put in an appearance in May, their big sister's gonna be at home waiting for them. That's the way it's gonna be. You hearing me, Goren?" Alex spoke softly, despite having to cut through Lil's performance. She knew Bobby was listening to her. Unfortunately, so was Lil.

"You bitch, you can't have my daughter. She belongs with me, I'm her mother!" Lil shrieked at the top of her lungs, then continued ranting loudly.

Nick's voice cut through the cacophony of his granddaughter's sobs and pleadings for her mother to be quiet, and his daughter's threats, curses and random accusations.

"You dare call yourself a mother? I don't even want to call you a daughter anymore. Look at how you've hurt your child. You're not content to simply ignore her most of the time, no you have to hit her. She's come here with bruises after weekends with you. Oh, you always had an explanation. There was always some excuse. She'd fallen at the park. She'd gotten bumped by a trolley while you were out grocery shopping. When did you last actually shop for groceries instead of ordering food in, Lilianna? And like idiots me and your mother, we chose to believe you. Why? Because the alternative was just too difficult to think about. At least most of the time we knew she was safe. Why do you think we never complained when you decided you were simply too busy to have Sammi go to your place for a weekend? Because we knew, in our hearts, we knew, Lil, that's why. We knew you were hitting our little girl, but we couldn't risk confronting you about it. We couldn't risk what you might do. What you might do that could be worse. Would you have taken her and run away? Left the city? Taken her away from the family entirely? Or would you have done something even worse? Would you have stayed here and simply not let us see her anymore? Knowing she was just across the city, having god only knows what done to her by you, not able to do a damn thing about it. Not being sure who her father was, what was I supposed to do? What the hell was I supposed to do?"

Before anyone could react to Nick's words, the intercom buzzed and a disembodied voice spoke.

"Hello, this is the police. I understand a Mrs MacLean requested our attendance."

* * *

A/N: Thanks for reading.


	27. Chapter 27

Disclaimer: Not mine :o(

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**1 September 2004 – Home of Nicky & Leah Giovaissi, Brooklyn, New York**

The broken quality of Nick's words tore at Alex's heart. She could understand why he'd been too worried about the possible consequences to confront his daughter about his suspicions but she could also understand why he now felt guilty. Sammi's confirmation that her mother had, in fact, been hitting her was going to be hard for her grandparents to deal with. She could feel Bobby vibrating with barely suppressed rage. Silently she thanked God that Lil would shortly be in the custody of the officers on the other side of the door.

Leah was now trying to comfort both her husband and her granddaughter. She glanced over her shoulder at Helena.

"Would you let them in please, Helena?" Leah's voice carried the same broken quality as Nick's had just a second ago.

Helena nodded and stepped out into the hall, answering the intercom. "This is Mrs MacLean, Child Protection Services. Please come up to apartment 1a."

The social worker opened the apartment door and waited for the uniformed officers to come up the stairs, then showed them through to the lounge. The two uniformed officers took in the scene before them; an elderly couple and an obviously upset young child were huddled together around one of the armchairs, a large man was holding a cuffed woman against the wall and a petite blonde woman was standing beside the pair, her hand resting against the man's back.

"Officer Matthews, 83rd Precinct, this is my partner, Officer Jackson. Mind telling me what's going on here?" The first officer into the lounge made the introductions and tried to get a handle on the scene before him.

Paul Matthews was about 5'8" tall, stockily built, around fifty years old with greying reddish-brown hair, in need of a trim, and a pale complexion, highlighted by ruddy cheeks and a slightly too big overly red nose. His partner, Jackson, followed him into the room with Helena. Grace Jackson was considerably younger than her partner, somewhere in her mid to late twenties, slightly taller and with a slender build, her clear coffee-coloured skin was a stark contrast to the unhealthy complexion of her partner. Her hair was neatly pulled back into a tight bun at the nape of her neck. The physical differences between the partners were nearly as stark a contrast as that between Goren and Eames.

Alex turned to greet the uniformed officers, keeping her hand firmly on Bobby's back.

"Detective Alex Eames, Major Case Squad." She nodded her head towards her partner. "This is my partner, Detective Robert Goren. This is Lilianna Giovaissi, we need you to transport her to One Police Plaza."

"What are the charges?" Jackson asked, whilst her mind ran through possible scenarios of what might be going on. '_Must be bigger than we thought. What's Major Case doing, getting involved in a child protection case?_'

Helena spoke before either Alex or Bobby could reply to their fellow officer. "Assaulting a police officer, two charges. Plus there'll be an investigation into charges of child neglect, abuse and endangerment."

Jackson glanced at the woman beside her. "Well, surely, those can be handled at our precinct?"

"Under other circumstances, quite possibly. However, the child in question is resident in Manhattan not Brooklyn and Manhattan SVU will be handling that area of the case. Also Ms Giovaissi assaulted both Detective Goren and Detective Eames, and I believe it would be best if those charges were handled by their own people." Helena looked at Alex, who gave a small nod of agreement.

"May I ask, how is it that two Major Case detectives just happen to be involved in a domestic case like this?" Matthews asked, his interest peaked.

Helena wasn't sure how to respond to that question, she had the distinct feeling that Alex and Bobby would most definitely not want their personal business spreading throughout the NYPD as gossip. Alex felt another tremor of anger run through Bobby at the uniform's question but before either of them could speak Lil replied to the officer.

"Please, Officer Matthews, you've got to help me. This is a vendetta against me. They're trying to take my baby away from me. I've done nothing wrong." Lil's voice was almost calm now, if somewhat tearful.

"Grace, perhaps we should take Ms Giovaissi here back to our station house and ask a few questions?" Matthews glanced around, first at his partner, then at Helena, across to Eames and finally bringing his eyes to Goren, who was now looking at him. The anger in the younger man's eyes was clearly visible.

"You were called as transport, not to investigate. Mrs MacLean has the authority to request you take Ms Giovaissi to whichever precinct she feels would be best qualified to deal with the case. If necessary we can simply call 1PP and request a transport unit from them." Bobby's tone was all business, although Alex could feel every muscle in his body tensing as he spoke. "Once you've removed Ms Giovaissi from the premises, we'll make the necessary calls for her to be dealt with once she gets to our office and to have some of Cragen's people there to deal with the child protection investigation. Do either of you have a problem with that?" His eye's cut from Matthews to Jackson and back.

Matthews looked as if he was about to argue with Goren for a second, then his partner spoke.

"Ya know what Paul, this is their call, not ours. How about we just do what we were called here to do and take their perp over to 1PP?" Jackson phrased her words as a question, deferring to her partner's greater experience, but Goren and Eames easily picked up on the underlying tone in her voice. Jackson obviously 'wore the pants' in this partnership despite being younger than Matthews.

"Are you going to take my Mommy to Bobby and Alex's work?" Sammi turned, still encircled by her grandmother's arms to look at the two uniformed officers. She spoke softly, gulping back tears.

Getting a good look at the child for the first time, the penny dropped in Jackson's head. '_Shit, she's the big guy's kid and their perp's her mom. No wonder he looks so pissed off._'

Jackson smiled gently at Sammi and walked across the room to her, crouching down to bring herself to the child's level. "Well, honey, yes it seems we are. I'm Grace, what's your name?"

"I'm Sammi." She looked at Jackson through tear-covered lashes. "My Mommy did do some things wrong, Grace. She hurt me and she said some horrid things about Alex and my Daddy. I could hear her from by bedroom. And she made my Poppy feel all poorly again."

With her final comment, Sammi's hand came up and gently stroked her grandfather's cheek. Nick gave a wan smile.

"I'll be just fine, Sammi, don't you worry. Okay?" Nick's voice was beginning to sound a little stronger again, much to the relief of everyone in the room.

Matthews reached for his notebook. "Just for our records, could I please make a note of who everyone here is? Once we've got everyone's details, we'll transport Ms Giovaissi."

It took about ten minutes for Matthews to make a note of everyone's details and then for him and Jackson to get Lil down to their patrol car. By the time the uniforms had Lil in the car, Matthews had come to the conclusion that Jackson was right, they were best keeping out of this particular case.

* * *

**1 September 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn, New York**

It had certainly been a tough day. Alex felt absolutely exhausted and Bobby wasn't in much better shape. They'd called their favourite Thai restaurant for takeout rather than bothering to cook when they'd finally got home, once they'd finished going over things with Deakins. Tom Jeffries and his partner, Karl Morris, would be dealing with the assault allegations against Lil. Cragen had sent over Benson and Stabler to start the child protection investigation. By the time Alex and Bobby had managed to 'escape' the office again it had been almost six o'clock.

It was now a little after nine and music was playing in the background, neither of them with enough concentration left to be bothered with the television, the remains of their dinner were still on the coffee table in front of them. Bobby sat with his back against the arm of the couch, his legs stretched out along its length. Alex sat between his legs, her back against his chest and her arms resting on top of his, where they wrapped around her abdomen.

"Eames, you sure you're okay with all this?" Falling back into his old safety zone by using her surname gave Alex a pretty good indication of just how rattled Bobby was by the events of the afternoon.

"All this?" She wasn't sure she really had the energy for this discussion but knew it had been building ever since Sammi's question that afternoon had revealed the full extent of Lil's actions against her child.

"I mean … the SVU investigation, assault investigation, custody hearings …" Bobby hesitated a moment then continued, "… the wedding day after tomorrow?"

She wriggled around so that she was able to turn her head to look at him properly. "You worried I'm gonna run?" One of her hands came up to rest against his cheek.

"Well maybe … I mean … no, not really, but under the circumstances … look this isn't how we planned on doing this." There was a slight edge of desperation in Bobby's voice.

"Since when do things go the way we planned, Bobby?" Alex managed to sound amused. "So we didn't plan on me getting pregnant so fast. We didn't plan on having twins. We didn't plan on you having a three year old kid with someone else. We certainly didn't plan on her mother being a complete psycho-bitch. Okay, so this isn't how we pictured getting married and having kids but it's how it's happening. And believe me, Bobby Goren, it is happening!" All amusement left Alex's voice and she looked deeply into his eyes, searching for any hint of uncertainty at her statement.

"Have I told you today how lucky I am that you love me?" Bobby stroked her hair as he spoke.

"You may have mentioned it at some point." Alex smiled softly at him. "How about we go get some sleep? We can worry about this some more tomorrow. Right now I just want to cuddle up next to you and try to forget about everything but us."

Bobby leaned forward and kissed her before responding to her question. "I don't know about sleeping. My brain is still running at a mile a minute. I could definitely go for the cuddling up next to you though." Despite his obvious exhaustion his hands started to wander over her body, eliciting a soft moan from Alex.

"How about, instead of trying to go to sleep, you show me how lucky you think you are and I have a try at slowing that brain of yours down?" Alex grinned at him, her eyes darkening with desire as her body responded to his touch.

"See I told you I was lucky." He chuckled softly before he kissed her again.

As they finished their kiss, Alex nuzzled into the side of his neck. "Oh, I don't know. I think I'm pretty lucky myself."

Alex stood up, offering her hand to Bobby as she came to her feet. "Come on, let's go to bed."

Bobby took her hand and followed her to bed, needing no further persuasion.

* * *

A/N: Thanks for continuing to put up with my ramblings.


	28. Chapter 28

Disclaimer: Not mine :o(

A/N: I'm soooo sorry that it's taken me this long to update. I've had a case of extremely frustrating writer's block, compounded by ill-health and having my house almost totally remodelled – hopefully I'm now back in action for real.

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**2 September 2004 – Family Court, Manhattan, New York**

Judge Laura Vickers opened the door to her chambers, glanced around her courtroom and frowned. She'd been a judge for almost twenty years and prided herself on being able to spot a police officer, in or out of uniform, at twenty paces. She figured there were at least six police officers currently in her courtroom and if she wasn't mistaken about the grey haired gentleman currently speaking to the appellant's attorney, there were seven.

"Gerry, we seem to have a great many of New York's Finest here for a custody hearing." Judge Vickers glared at her clerk, obviously requiring an explanation.

"Sorry, Judge, I know you like to keep the police presence to a minimum but this hearing has been expedited at the DA's personal request and the parent petitioning for custody is a Major Case Squad detective. I know you haven't had time to fully review the file, we didn't receive it until late yesterday evening after you'd left for the night. This is a bad one. As well as the custody issue that needs deciding today, there're also child protection issues and a criminal investigation against the child's mother for assaulting both the father and his fiancée." Gerry Stanton rattled off the basic outline of the case. He'd been Judge Vickers' clerk for the past ten years, ever since she'd transferred to family court, and knew she usually preferred to read over a file in detail before having the parties appear before her. She wasn't going to like being thrown in at the deep end on a case like this.

"I see Helena MacLean is with us today. I take it she's the social worker on the case?" Judge Vickers nodded towards Helena, who smiled and nodded in return.

"Yes, ma'am, she is. I had a word with her when she arrived. As far as Child Protection are concerned things are pretty much cut and dried. Helena's got her reports in order and her recommendations in place, as usual." Gerry couldn't help smiling as he spoke. Helena MacLean was one of Judge Vickers' favourite social workers, similar in age and their outlook on life the two women tended to share similar opinions on most matters, which usually boded well for the social worker, especially as Helena always had her paperwork meticulously in order before she appeared before the judge.

"Very well, let's get down to business shall we, Gerry." Judge Vickers stepped back, allowing Gerry to precede her into her courtroom.

* * *

Judge Vickers tried to always be sympathetic to the plight of all parties in child custody hearings. Things were never simple when it came to the fate of a child and rarely any simpler when it came to the fate of that child's parents. On this occasion her sympathy was being tested to its limits.

"Miss Giovaissi, please calm yourself." Judge Vickers managed to keep her tone calm and level, despite the fact that over the last couple of hours she'd had to listen to several very disturbing statements. "I am very sorry that you feel you are being victimised here, but I can assure you this court is completely impartial."

Lilianna Giovaissi was currently standing only a couple of feet in front of the judge, her face a picture of fury. Gerry Stanton stood slightly to the side and in front of her, having left his seat and positioned himself strategically between 'his' judge and the defendant as soon as Lil left her seat to virtually fly across the courtroom toward Judge Vickers as she started to give her ruling. If Lil made any move to get any closer to the judge she was going to find herself coming up against one very determined judge's clerk.

"You're giving my baby to her … to … to that bitch who stole my child's father from me? How dare you do that? I'm a good mother, I love my daughter." Lil turned her head to glare at Alex, who was standing behind Bobby and Steve. "That … that whore … she stole Bobby from me, this is all her fault. Why can't anyone see that this is all her fault? I haven't done anything wrong."

"Miss Giovaissi, please return to your seat." Judge Vickers signalled for one of the court security officers to escort Lil back to her seat beside her attorney.

As a struggling Lil was walked back across the courtroom Judge Vickers took a quick inventory of the people in the room. Steve Woods, who had appeared many times before her over the past five or more years, was standing beside his client, obviously ready to physically intervene should Lil attempt another assault on either of his clients. Detective Goren had stepped around the table he'd been seated behind and presently looked considerably larger than he had at any time during the proceedings, shoulder squared and drawn up to his full height rather than hunching his shoulder and slouching slightly as he seemed to do in an unconscious attempt to minimise his size. Detective Eames was also on her feet, placing herself at the end of the row of seats between Lil's family and the ranting woman who was causing such upheaval in her life.

Detectives Benson and Stabler, along with Captain Deakins, had moved from their seats and were standing in the aisle, waiting for whatever happened next and clearly ready to take whatever action they might deemed necessary. Officers Matthews and Jackson, who had been called by Lil's attorney as witnesses to her arrest the previous day, were also in the aisle slightly behind the detectives and equally ready for action, both of them with their hands on their weapons. Helena MacLean was still seated beside Sammi in the row of seats Detective Eames was standing guard over, but the social worker was now leaning in front of the child in a protective manner. Leah Giovaissi had her arm around her granddaughter, clearly trying to shield the child from her mother, whilst her husband was on his feet, standing behind Detective Eames, one hand resting on the woman's shoulder as if trying to restrain her as gently as possible.

Once Lil was again seated, Judge Vickers spoke, first addressing the security officer. "Officer Sinclair, please remain behind Miss Giovaissi." The officer nodded in response. "Now if everybody would please return to their seats, I will continue to give my ruling."

It did not escape the Judge's notice during the couple of minutes it took for order to be restored to her courtroom that rather than returning to their previous seats a couple of rows behind Detective Goren and his attorney the two SVU detectives took seats immediately behind Lilianna. She managed to suppress her amusement at their obvious manoeuvre. She did, however, catch Detectives Benson's eye and give a small nod of approval. The last thing the Judge needed was for her courtroom to turn into a crime scene should Lil decide to take further action when she heard the full terms of the ruling she had come to.

* * *

"In summation, as an interim measure Samantha Francesca Giovaissi is given into the sole custody of her father, Mr Robert Goren." There was an outburst of enthusiastic 'thank you's' and general excited hubbub as the Judge once again started to give her ruling. "Order in the court. People, please, allow me to continue." She gave everyone a moment to calm themselves before continuing. "Samantha Giovaissi's residency arrangements to be agreed at the convenience of Mr Goren and Mr Nicholas and Mrs Leah Giovaissi, the child's grandparents with whom Samantha is currently residing. Miss Lilianna Giovaissi, her mother, is to have visitation on a supervised basis. Visitation shall be for two hours per week, to take place each Saturday. All contact between Samantha and her mother is to be supervised by Mrs Helena MacLean of Child Protection Services or another senior member of her department, with at least one police officer in attendance. This police officer is to be unconnected with either of the police investigations currently underway in connection with Miss Lilianna Giovaissi. Should Miss Giovaissi attempt to make any unsupervised contact with her daughter, either in person or by remote communication, all visitation shall be withdrawn." Judge Vickers paused and focused her attention on Lil.

"Miss Giovaissi, should you choose to attempt to break the terms of my ruling and make unsupervised contact with your daughter, you will be considered to be in contempt of this court and I will issue a warrant for your arrest. Your behaviour in my courtroom today has convinced me that you have a serious problem. I hereby order that you undertake a full psychiatric evaluation, to determine the nature and extent of any psychiatric condition you may be suffering from. Following that evaluation I will take advice from your treating psychiatrist as to the best course of action to take in relation to your daughter's custody arrangements." The Judge could easily see that Lil was on the brink of yet another outburst. "I am hereby ordering that you be taken from this court to Bellevue Hospital for immediate commencement of such psychiatric evaluation."

* * *

That was it, Lil was once again on her feet, shouting obscenities at the Judge and throwing accusations. She was screaming so loudly and her words were coming out in such a rapid stream that it was impossible to clearly make out what it was she was actually trying to say. The security officer behind her immediately restrained her, not allowing her to do more than stand between her chair and the table in front of it. Benson and Stabler immediately moved to surround Lil getting ready to cut off any further action on her part.

It turned out to be a good judgement call on the part of the SVU detectives. Lil managed to slip from the grasp of the security officer and tried to get across the courtroom. Whether her target was Goren, Eames or her daughter wasn't clear but it really didn't matter to Benson and Stabler. Before she'd moved even halfway across the aisle Benson had a tight grip one of the woman's arms and Stabler had his own arm wrapped around Lil's waist. Lil trashed in Stabler grasp, kicking him in the shins, throwing her head back in an attempt to hit him in the face. At the same time she tried to wrench her arm from Benson's hand. The sound of the judge's gavel banging down loudly brought Lil to an abrupt halt as she managed to turn within the circle of Stabler arm to face the judge. Benson and Stabler took advantage of her sudden stillness, Stabler keeping hold of Lil whilst his partner deftly cuffed her hands behind her back.

"That, Miss Giovaissi, is the end of my patience! You are hereby found to be in contempt of this court. When you have finished your evaluation at Bellevue, you will be taken immediately into police custody. You will serve five days imprisonment for your behaviour here in my courtroom today. Should you, during future hearings regarding arrangements for your daughter's care and custody, continue to behave in a similar manner I will have you immediately removed from my courtroom to the holding cells. Do I make myself clear?" Judge Vickers glared at the now cuffed woman before her.

"Nooo," Lil wailed the word, drawing it out until she sounded like a wounded animal howling in pain, "you can't do this to me!" She continued to scream and started to trash again against the detective holding her.

"Detective Stabler, Detective Benson, please remove Miss Giovaissi to the holding cells. I will have my clerk make arrangements for her removal to Bellevue. Officer Sinclair, please escort the detectives and their prison."

* * *

A/N: Oh dear … Lil does just keep digging herself in deeper doesn't she ;o) I'm already working on the next chapter so that should be posted in the next week or so (real life permitting). Thanks to everyone for reading.


	29. Chapter 29

Disclaimer: Not mine :o(

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**2 September 2004 – Family Court, Manhattan, New York**

Sammi Giovaissi sat in stunned silence, grasping Helena's arm and snuggling as closely as possible to her grandmother. Tears rolled down the child's cheeks as her mother was removed from the courtroom by the two detectives she had met the day before. As much as it was possible for a three year old, she understood what was going on. The judge-lady had said her mommy had to go to the hospital, which Sammi thought was a good thing. Recently her mommy had been sad a lot of the time and often seemed to feel poorly in the morning when Sammi was staying with her, at least until she had one of her 'special' juices. Sammi had actually been relieved, if still a little sad, when her mommy had decided that she couldn't cope with having Sammi home over the weekend and had left her with her grandparents instead of taking her back to their apartment.

What Sammi couldn't understand was why her mommy was so angry so much of the time, especially at the nice judge-lady. Afterall, the judge-lady was just trying to help. If Mommy couldn't cope with looking after her, then surely it was better if Sammi stayed with her daddy and Alex for a while. Sammi looked at the people around her. Her Poppy had his arm around her Nana, who was crying quietly. Helena, who was still leaning slightly across her, seemed to have relaxed considerably since the detectives had taken her mommy away. Alex had now joined her daddy and his friend at the table in front of them, her arm wrapped around her daddy's waist. Mr Captain, her daddy and Alex's boss, was sitting behind Sammi and her grandparents, and when Sammi turned to look at him he smiled at her reassuringly and reached out to smooth a hand over her hair, just the way her Poppy did when she was upset.

Sammi turned back around to face the judge-lady, letting go of Helena's arm to scrub the tears from her cheeks. "'Scuse me, Judge-Lady, does this mean Mommy **has **to go to the hospital now and see a doctor to help her get better, so she's not sad and angry all the time anymore?"

Gerry Stanton only just managed not to chuckle at the child's mode of address. Despite everyone's best efforts Sammi insisted on addressing Judge Vickers as 'Judge-Lady' rather than 'Your Honour'. He could tell the judge didn't actually mind that much, at least the child was polite and had managed to remain calm throughout the majority of the proceedings.

Judge Vickers nodded. "Yes, Sammi, that is exactly what this means, although it may take some time before she gets better." She paused a moment, then decided that with this child total honestly was needed to retain the child's trust. "It also means that when your mommy is finished at the hospital the police will have to take her to jail for a few days because of how was behaved here in court today. I'm very sorry about that, Sammi, but I couldn't allow your mommy to behave that way. Do you understand?"

Sammi nodded and responded in a quiet voice. "It's kinda like when I throw a tantrum and Nana and Poppy have to give me a time-out. I gotta go to my room and I'm not allowed to play with my toys. Is it like you gave Mommy a really big time-out?"

"Yes, Sammi dear, it's like a really big time-out." The judge's tone was gentle.

Judge Vickers found herself once again surprised by the maturity of this small child. Despite having just watched her mother being arrested and removed from the court Sammi had managed to remain reasonably calm, just as she had when she'd taken the witness stand to give her side of the story as to how she had been treated by her mother. As a family court judge she didn't usually allow such young children to give direct testimony, relying on the detectives or social workers on any particular case to read young children's statements in court, but Sammi had been insistent that she wanted to tell her story to the judge, just like she'd told it to the detectives. There had not been a single discrepancy between the statement Judge Vickers had quickly read and the testimony given by Sammi on the stand.

"Now, as I will have to wait for Miss Giovaissi's evaluation to be completed before we can move any further forward with this case I am unable to set for date for our next hearing. I will have Mr Stanton contact all parties once I have the relevant reports. Is that acceptable to everyone?" Judge Vickers looked first at Steve Woods, who nodded in agreement, then at Lil's attorney.

"Actually, Judge Vickers, I would like to request that you set a deadline for completion of my client's evaluation."

Andrew Turnbull, Lil's new attorney, wasn't best pleased with how his case was going so far and he was even less pleased about how he'd ended up representing the woman to begin with. He'd had Lil's case foisted on him by one of the senior partners at his firm, who had been involved in an on-again-off-again affair with Lil for the past couple of years. Arranging to have one of the company's associates deal with this case was the man's way of ensuring Lil didn't go to his wife with details of their personal relationship. As a result, Andrew had been pulled from acting as a member of the supporting counsel team on a very high-profile child custody case involving a member of the Mayor's family. That case was due back in court in a little over a month and Andrew could easily see Lil's case dragging on for longer than that if she continued to behave as she had in court today. He really wanted back on the other case, which could prove to be a career-maker if it went the right way.

"I'm sorry, Mr Turnbull, but that isn't possible. I don't think this sort of thing should be rushed, simply to fit in with counsels' calendars." Judge Vickers had no intention of rushing what would probably turn out to be a complex psychiatric evaluation. "Are there any further requests or questions?"

"None, Your Honour." Andrew Turnbull managed to keep is voice level, even if his face clearly conveyed his frustration.

"None here either, Your Honour." Steve Woods stated after glancing at this client who simply shook his head slightly.

"Very well then, Mr Stanton will be in contact once I have had the opportunity to peruse the necessary reports. In the meantime, Sammi I'm sorry about what has happened to you but I hope that you will now have a chance to get to know your father. Mr Goren, Miss Eames, these situations are never easy, I wish you the best of luck. My thanks to everyone involved. Court dismissed." With that Judge Vickers brought her gavel down, not missing the expressions of relief on the faces of the majority of the people before her.

* * *

**2 September 2004 – Home of Nicky & Leah Giovaissi, Brooklyn, New York**

"Are you sure you don't want a little more time to yourselves after the wedding? I mean you'll not have much chance of privacy for the two of you once Sammi moves in." Leah couldn't help but ask as she dried the dishes Bobby was washing.

After they'd finished in court Nicky had insisted that Bobby and Alex join them for dinner and to discuss the arrangements for Sammi moving into their apartment. Right now Alex was helping Sammi with her bath and Nicky had moved to his favourite armchair, where he was now dozing, the events of the past few days having exhausted him.

"Leah, honestly, it's fine. The sooner we get Sammi settled in, the better. Alex and I have discussed this, we know it's not how we planned on starting out our marriage but it's not something we have a lot of choice about. Sammi needs as much stability now as we can all offer her. The three of you come to the wedding tomorrow, then on Saturday we'll get Sammi moved into our place. She needs to know that this, being a family together, is what both Alex and I want. Putting off her living with us, just because we're getting married, that isn't going to reassure her of that. The poor kid's been through enough … between Lil's treatment of her, having to go to court, seeing her mother being taken away like that … she needs to feel … to know that I want her to be part of my life … that Alex wants her to be part of her life too. We know it's not going to be easy … we know it's probably going to be a pretty bumpy ride … but even before we knew for sure she was mine Alex was already set on making sure that we would be part of Sammi's life. She was the one who insisted that even had the DNA test gone the other way … if it had turned out that Michael was her father … that I still file for at least joint custody." Bobby stopped suddenly realising he was rambling. He looked at the tiny woman beside him, relieved to see a small, if somewhat sad smile on her face.

"You are a very fortunate young man, Robert Goren, to have found such an understanding woman." Leah sighed, listening to the laughter coming from the bathroom. "Not every woman would be so willing to accept another's child into her home, nevermind her heart, the way Alex is willing to accept our Sammi. And Sammi is a very lucky little girl. Not every man would be able to look beyond what my daughter did, to rearrange his life to make room for a child he never knew was his …" Leah paused as Bobby took her hand.

"Leah, as far as Alex and I are concerned … well to be honest, we just want to try and put what Lil did as far behind us as possible … given the circumstances. Obviously, there are still a lot of things to be settled … there're gonna be more court hearings and arrangements will have to be finalised … but there's never been a single moment when I've doubted that I want Sammi to be a big part of our lives. I can't speak for Alex but I believe she feels the same, she's not said or done anything since Lil dropped this bombshell into our lives to make me think that she wants anything other than what's best for Sammi." Bobby's voice carried nothing but certainty.

At that moment Sammi came rushing into the kitchen, dripping water in her wake, wrapped in a large bath towel.

"Bobby, Bobby, Alex says I can help her with the babies when they come. When are the babies coming?" Sammi looked up at her father from under the sopping wet hair plastered to her forehead. Bobby scooped his daughter up in his arms, softly rubbing her with the towel to dry her off as if he'd been doing it her entire life.

"Well, the babies won't be here until May of next year, so don't go getting so excited about it." A somewhat damp Alex muttered from the kitchen doorway.

Bobby chuckled at the sight of his fiancée. She was still drying her hands on a towel she'd carried through from the bathroom but there was no disguising the fact that Sammi had done a pretty good job of soaking one side of Alex's blouse.

"May … but that's ages away yet. Can't you talk to the babies and get them to come quicker? I've been asking Mommy for a baby for forever and she said I couldn't have any brothers or sisters. I guess she didn't know you and Alex were going to be having babies." Sammi fell silent as Bobby placed a finger gently on her lips.

"You have to wait until the babies are ready, okay?" There was no hiding the amusement in Bobby's voice as he spoke.

"Okay … but I will be living with you and Alex when the babies come … won't I?" There was a mix of hope and uncertainty in Sammi's tone.

Alex had now crossed the kitchen and laid a hand on Sammi's back rubbing softly. "I sure hope you will." Alex's eyes met Bobby's and he could see her own need for reassurance there.

"We'll certainly try our best, Sammi, but we still have to see Judge Vickers again before things get sorted out permanently." Seeing the frown suddenly creasing his daughter's brow, Bobby continued. "You do know that we want to you live with us, right?"

Sammi gave a firm little nod. "I know, and on Saturday I get to move some of my things to your apartment. Besides I was there today in court with you when you told the judge-lady, but what if Mommy tells the judge-lady she wants me to live with her too?"

"Well the judge will listen to what everyone wants and decide what she thinks is best for you." Bobby still wasn't sure how to explain to Sammi that there was a very good chance her mother would be spending a considerable amount of time in either a psychiatric facility or jail, depending on how the initial evaluation went. With the multiple assault and attempted assault charges alongside the child endangerment and neglect investigation now underway, it was unlikely Lil would be free to have Sammi live with her until the child was at least seven or eight years old, or maybe considerably older if she was found guilty on all charges and given the maximum sentences available.

"Will the judge-lady have to listen to what I want, as well as what you and Mommy want?" Sammi gave a huge yawn as she finished asking her question.

"Yes, sweetheart, she will." Bobby's finger swept still dripping curls from his daughter's forehead before he placed a soft kiss there. "Now, how about you get some rest? It's been a long day for everyone and there's still the wedding tomorrow."

Sammi wriggled around to look at her grandmother. "Nana, will you take me to bed?" Another yawn split the child's face.

"Sure, bambina." Leah held out her arms and Bobby passed Sammi across.

Leah smiled at him over Sammi's shoulder. "Now then, little one, what story shall we have tonight?" Leah asked as she walked towards the door.

* * *

**3 September 2004 – Apartment of Robert Goren, Brooklyn**

Bobby Goren lay staring at his bedroom ceiling. Alex was spending the night at Val and Lainie's house, so that he wouldn't see her the morning of their wedding. Who knew Eames was superstitious? He rolled over and glared at the alarm clock – 02:17 – he was supposed to be sleeping, he would have to be up in a little over five hours, the wedding was set for nine thirty.

He rolled back over and pulled Alex's pillow towards him, drinking in her scent from the fabric as he buried is face in its softness. He found himself, once again, thinking about how Alex never ceased to amaze him. First as his partner, understanding how she managed to put up with his antics all these years confounded even his logic and empathy. Then as his friend, the way she had managed to integrate him into her family almost with his noticing and with their total acceptance, at least until they'd become romantically involved, was a constant source of wonder to a man whose own family had never given him anything near the level of understanding he usually received from his future in-laws. As for when they had become lovers, well best not to think too much about that it he wanted to get any sleep at all tonight. When she had agreed to marry him, to bear his children, he had thought he couldn't get any luckier.

Then Lil had ripped back into his life, into their lives, and Alex had once again proven that she was, as ever, the stronger member of their partnership, be it personal or professional, taking the news of Sammi's paternity in her stride, as she seemed to do with everything else. Not for one solitary moment had Alex shown the least hint of uncertainty as to where Sammi belonged – with them, a part of their family – whether it was what they had originally planned or not. Bobby Goren was well aware of just how lucky he was to have Alex Eames in his life, he just couldn't understand why she kept on putting up with him. For the next half hour or so he laid there, trying to figure out what exactly it was that Alex saw in him.

After replaying various events from the past few days, then months and finally years, Bobby was forced to come to the conclusion that despite everything the simple fact was that Alex loved him. It didn't matter to her whether he was pulling some dumb stunt to get the inside track on a suspect; it didn't phase her a bit if some over-amorous female decided to make her interest clear; she didn't bat an eyelid when he got called up to Carmel Ridge at strange hours of the night to calm his mother's fears; even when a three year old daughter suddenly appeared out of nowhere into their lives she continued to support him. She might occasionally lose her cool with him but she had made it abundantly clear that she had no intention of walking away from him.

At last he closed his eyes and slept, as the peace of his realisation and the exhaustion brought on by the emotional roller coaster of the past few days swept over him.

* * *

A/N: Hope you enjoyed that - next chapter will include the wedding :o)


	30. Chapter 30

Disclaimer: Not mine :o(

A/N: I know nothing about how civil marriage ceremonies are carried out in the States, so forgive me my mistakes.

* * *

**3 September 2004 – City Hall, New York**

Bobby Goren stood nervously at the front of the 'Wedding Room' of New York City Hall, he lifted his arm and checked his watched for what seemed like the hundredth time. A quick nudge to the ribs drew his attention to the man standing beside him.

"Knock it off, Bobby, she'll be here!" Chris Hughes hissed at his friend.

"Yeah, I … I know that." Bobby nodded, almost meekly dropping his hands back down to his sides.

At that moment the doors to the room opened and Alex Eames finally made her appearance, all of two minutes past the allotted time for her wedding to start. Bobby had half-turned towards the doors as they opened and he stared at his bride, his love for her written clearly across his face for all to see. Alex looked beautiful, the cream dress she wore fell to just below her knees in soft pleats and the fitted bodice accentuated her curves in just the right way. The matching shoes, with four inch heels to bring her up to her groom's shoulder, did a wonderful job of showing off her shapely legs. Her hair was pinned back in a pleat with a few tendrils left loose at the sides of her cheeks. Her make-up was lightly applied, just enough to give her a 'natural' glow and disguise the signs of her latest bout of morning sickness.

Just as Carrie and Lainie had four months before, she wore a single string of pearls at her neck with a matching bracelet on her right wrist and earrings to complete the effect. Bobby presumed these were her 'something borrowed', little did he know that Tina, Annie and Leah had presented the set to Alex the night before to wear as her 'something new'. When Alex had tried to protest at the expense of the gift Annie had pointed out that, so far as the older women were concerned, the pearls signified her becoming a member of their extended family. Alex had been unable to do anything but accept the gift and do her best to fit back her tears (whilst silently cursing the hormones that were causing her to be so overly emotional). Annie had also insisted on sewing a small panel of antique lace from her own wedding gown into the inside of Alex's dress, just as she for her daughter and daughter-in-law. 'Something blue' was easy, her sapphire engagement ring which she was wearing on the third finger of her right hand. Her 'something borrowed' was the delicate gold watch she was wearing on her left wrist, which Lainie had been given as her twenty-first birthday present and had insisted Alex wear for her wedding.

"You ready to do this, Alex?" Her father asked as the door opened.

"Yes, Dad, more than ready." There was no doubt in her voice as she glanced around the room.

* * *

Alex had told her parents that she and Bobby planned on keeping the wedding as small as possible. However, her side of the room was still pretty full. Her mother sat at the front of the room, with two of her brothers, Paddy and Jamie, along with Jamie's wife, Sandra. Another of her brothers, Mickey slipped into the room and joined his wife, Carole, who was sitting behind Sandra, as Alex and their dad made their way down the aisle accompanied by her youngest sister, Louise. Mickey had borrowed one of the high-end digital cameras from the crime lab where he worked, so that he could act as photographer for the day, and had been taking photos of Alex's arrival at City Hall.

Alex's other three brothers were all working, with the wedding being rearranged at such short notice they hadn't been able to get time off. Junior's wife, Laura, and Tim's long-term girlfriend, Eloise, had managed to get the day off work and were seated with the rest of the Eames family. Sean McAdam sat with his in-laws, his son on his knee, there was no way Sean was going to allow Alex to get married without the child she'd given birth to being there. As for his wife, Beth, well she had been refusing to take Alex's calls since their conversation three days before. Although Sean had tried to convince his wife to come with him and Molly had tried to talk her middle daughter into attending the wedding, Beth had point blank refused to do so. The rest of Alex's nieces and nephews were also in attendance, making for quite a crowd who ranged in age from baby Nathan, aged just eight and a half months, up to Jamie's eldest, Jack, who had turned eighteen a couple of months back.

On the other side of the room Bobby's 'family' consisted of Val and Lainie, Lewis and his sister-in-law, Carrie, accompanied by Annie Kazinski. Paul Santorini sat with his parents, Sal and Tina, his cousin Maria and his aunt and uncle, Nicky and Leah Giovaissi, and of course their granddaughter, Sammi. Steve Woods was also there to see his old friend get married.

Alex found herself beside Bobby without actually being aware of the walk down the aisle, accompanied by her father and her youngest sister, Louise, who was acting as her bridesmaid. She looked at Bobby for a moment, taking in the fact that he was wearing her favourite out of all his suits, a dark blue one that for some reason seemed to emphasise the already impressive breadth of his shoulders. This was coupled with a mid-blue shirt and a dark blue tie with fine diagonal stripes of burgundy and gold, held in place with a plain gold tie-clip. Alex couldn't resist running her finger gently across the clip, which she had given to him for his birthday during their second year as partners, before raising her eyes to Bobby's.

As their eyes met the rest of the room may as well have been empty so far as Bobby and Alex were concerned. John Eames couldn't help but smile as he relinquished his eldest daughter's arm and moved to sit beside his wife, leaving Louise standing slightly behind Alex. After allowing Bobby and Alex a moment to simply look at one another, Louise placed a gentle hand on her sister's back breaking the spell that Alex was under. Louise felt a slight shudder run through Alex as her sister turned her head and smiled at her.

'_I hope one day I manage to find a man who makes me feel like that._' Louise thought to herself as she saw the happiness radiating from her sister's eyes.

A gentle cough from the Justice of the Peace brought everyone's attention into focus. "If everybody is here, may we begin?"

Alex and Bobby finally turned to face the Justice, who then addressed the congregation before him.

"Family and friends, we are gathered here today to witness the marriage of Robert Owen Goren and Alexandra Caitlyn Eames. Before commencing with the ceremony, I am required to ask if there is anyone here who objects to this marriage." The Justice paused and looked around the room, he couldn't help noticing as various couples on the bride's side of the room exchanged relieved glances when there were no objections.

"Very well, then we shall continue. Marriage is not an estate to be entered into lightly but with consideration and forethought. I call upon those persons gathered here today to witness the marriage of Robert and Alexandra, as they undertake a new life together. I understand that Robert and Alexandra have prepared their vows and I would now ask that they address each other. Robert, if you would be so kind."

Bobby turned to Alex taking her left hand in his right, as he looked into her eyes he felt as though the room around them had once again disappeared.

"I, Robert, affirm my love to you, Alex, as I invite you to share my life, complicated as it may be. You are the most beautiful and generous person I have ever known, and I promise always to respect you and love you. With kindness, unselfishness and trust, I will work by your side to create a wonderful life together, for ourselves and for our children. I take you Alex to be my lawful wedded wife, to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health for as long as we both shall live."

Alex closed her eyes for a moment, almost overwhelmed by the emotion she heard in Bobby's voice and by the emotions that ran through her in response. Gaining enough control to find her voice, Alex opened her eyes, gazing up into Bobby's.

"Bobby, today I take you to be my husband. Together we will create a home, becoming a part of one another and, just as importantly, part of our own family with our children. I vow to help create a life that we can cherish, inspiring your love for me and mine for you. I vow to be honest, caring and truthful, to love you as you are, and to grow old by your side as your love and best friend."

"May I have the rings?" The Justice addressed Chris, who made quite a performance of checking his pockets, until he felt Val glaring at him. Throwing a quick grin over his shoulder at his friend, Chris produced two rings from his jacket pocket and passed them to the Justice.

"By the giving and receiving of these rings you symbolise your love for each and your commitment to the vows you have made." The Justice held out the rings the Bobby. "Robert, please place your ring on the third finger of Alexandra's left hand."

With trembling fingers Bobby took the smaller of the two rings, slipping it reverently onto Alex's finger. "With this ring I thee wed." The words were murmured so quietly that only Alex, the Justice, Chris and Louise could actually hear them.

"Alexandra, please place your ring on the third finger of Robert's left hand." The Justice offered the remaining ring to Alex.

With hands that were surprisingly steady, Alex took the remaining ring from the Justice. "With this ring I thee wed." She spoke the words just as softly as Bobby had.

"By the power vested in me by the state of New York, I now pronounce you man and wife. Robert, you may kiss your bride."

Bobby leaned down, pausing a fraction of an inch from Alex's lips. "I love you, Mrs Goren." He whispered before claiming her lips. There was nothing symbolic about the way Bobby kissed his new bride, he pulled her slight body against his powerful frame and gave free rein to every ounce of the passion she roused within him. Alex responded with equal fervour, wrapping her arms around Bobby's neck and kissing him with a passion that matched his own. The round of applause from their family and friends, various catcalls from Alex's brothers to get a room and eventually Chris's loud cough finally broke through the cocoon around the newlyweds. Bobby rested her forehead against Alex's, gathering his wits. "I love you too, Mr Goren." Alex whispered to him, before she drew back slightly.

"If you would please sign the register." The Justice shepherded Alex, Bobby, Chris and Louise to the desk at the front of the room. Once they had all finished signing and the Justice had handed the marriage certificate to Bobby, the Justice turned back to the family and friends assembled in the room.

Smiling broadly he announced. "Finally, ladies and gentlemen, may I present Mr and Mrs Robert Goren."

* * *


End file.
